


A Devil’s Smile

by Vegetasleftsock



Category: Dragon Ball
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Arguing, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Love Confessions, Rough Sex, Sex, Vegeta being Vegeta (Dragon Ball), Vegeta is Bad at Feelings (Dragon Ball)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-21
Updated: 2021-02-21
Packaged: 2021-03-18 10:07:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 23,372
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29607828
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vegetasleftsock/pseuds/Vegetasleftsock
Summary: Vegeta reluctantly goes out with friends one night to a performance at a bar and is hit on by the small but feisty, tattooed singer Milla. He reacts poorly, but with the help of his friends and a little pushing the small flame of their chemistry turns into a fire. Attitudes clash and Vegeta has a lot of reservations- will the two end up being a good fit after all?
Relationships: Vegeta (Dragon Ball)/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 5
Kudos: 7





	1. The Seed

It was a Friday night in late October. A cold front had slipped into town the night before, chilling everything and everyone in the city. Dirty Darwin’s bar was warm and alive, packed with people excited to watch The Forges. 

The Forges were a local band known for their covers and particularly intriguing lead singer, Milla.

Milla had become a bit of an icon in the live music scene of the city. In just the few months that The Forges had been active, they had outgrown several smaller venues for their Friday-night performances. On this particular night, it seemed that they were on the verge of outgrowing this venue as well. 

Inside, the black vinyl stage at the back of the bar was highlighted with red and white lights. Neon signs adorned every wall and the space behind the bar counter shone bright from near the entrance. The bartenders were rushing and struggling to keep up with the massive crowd that filled one of the city’s most popular spots.

On stage, Milla finished the band’s first song of the night. Adrenaline rushed through her veins as the crowd cheered at the long-awaited start of the show. She matched her fans’ excitement and laughed, her body and mind filled with pure bliss.  
She picked up her drink, a plain daiquiri with a lime wedge swimming in the glass and made cheers with her guitarist. The tall blonde guitarist clinked his glass of whiskey against hers and gave Milla a nod of the head and an affirmative grin. 

“Fuck, keep it going!” Milla exclaimed with one hand still on her drink, the other on her microphone stand. “Y’all are one hell of a crowd.”  
The sound of people whooping and hollering after the end of the song echoed. Milla grinned and crinkled her nose with excitement. She was truly in her element.   
She set her drink on the floor beside her and swiped her thick, dark brown hair behind her ear. It shone with highlights of red under the bright stage lights.  
“This next one is a long time favorite,” Milla said.

She leaned against a tall, wooden barstool with one Doc Marten on the stage and the other on the stool’s foot rest. 

“Go ahead, Deandre.” She nodded towards her drum player and he kicked off the first few beats to ‘The Seed’ by The Roots. 

Milla closed her eyes while leaning her head back and swayed to the music, tapping her heavy boot to the rhythm of the drums.

Meanwhile, Goku, Vegeta and Bulma filed into the over-crowded bar. Bulma headed straight to the bar to grab drinks for everyone while the two guys took a moment to get adjusted to how cramped the space was. 

“I fail to understand why puny humans have no concept of personal space,” spat Vegeta.

He hated when people touched him and it was almost impossible to file through the crowd without bumping shoulders with every other person.

“Come on, Vegeta! We came here to have a good time and enjoy the music. I thought you would like this kind of stuff,” Goku said, shrugging.

“Foolish Kakarot, what makes you think I would enjoy anything about this wretched-”

“Hey, guys! Over here! I found us a place to sit!” Bulma yelled over the music, hopping and waving her hand at an attempt to be seen. 

The group took a seat at a table right next to the stage and Bulma distributed drinks. They clinked their glasses together and did small cheers before taking heavy sips. 

“Hey, Bulma- how’d you manage to get us a table all the way up here?” Goku grinned, surprised and happy to be close to the action.

“You should know by now that I have my ways, Goku,” Bulma beamed.

She was obviously proud of how convincing she could be. With just a few flirtatious looks and some compelling words, Bulma was able to talk a group of college boys into basically offering her the table with no questions asked.

Vegeta kept a heavy scowl on his face as he looked around at the environment. His eyes finally found their way to the stage where The Forges were performing. He convinced himself that if maybe he focused on the music, it would keep him from snapping the neck of the next person who barged into him.

“Whatcha lookin’ at?” Goku said from behind Vegeta. He had scooted closer to Vegeta to see if he could match his eyeline and catch what he was staring at. 

“What the hell?” Vegeta recoiled away from Goku both out of surprise and anger.

“You just seem to be staring in one direction and I can’t tell what you're looking at,” Goku said, confused and determined. 

“If I didn’t know any better, I would think he was staring at the singer,” Bulma laughed. 

Vegeta froze. The way Bulma teased and mocked him was almost as annoying as Kakarot to the tense saiyan. However, he recognized once she mentioned it that his eyes were, infact, on the singer. 

He questioned himself on why he was even looking at the tiny singing woman, especially since the duration of his gaze was lasting longer than he would like to admit. He gritted his teeth.

“Silence, woman. I will not have you insinuate such things.”

“Whatever,” shrugged Bulma. “You’re still looking at her.”

While Milla was singing, she noticed Vegeta’s gaze through the corner of her eye. This peaked her interest and she started walking across the stage towards the group’s table. She loved interacting with people who came to see their group, and she could tell even from her short glance that the dark-featured man was attractive. 

“I don’t beg- for no rich man. And I don’t scream and kick, when his shit don’t fall in my hands man. And I know how to still.”

Vegeta was still scowling with his arms crossed tightly against his chest. Milla lifted her line of sight to meet Vegeta’s and he narrowed his eyes in response. Without breaking eye contact, she gave him a mischievous, sideways grin while she sang. She winked at him before turning around and Vegeta ripped his eyes to the ground.

Goku laughed and grinned his typical goofy smile. “It looks like she likes you! She’s kinda scary for a lady- but in a cool way, I guess.”

Blood rushed to Vegeta’s face and he shot Goku a death glare as he slammed his fist on the table 

“Kakarot-”

Vegeta then realized that Goku and Bulma were both looking past him with big smirks plastered on their faces.

“What are you fools grinning about?” Vegeta scowled and snapped his head around to see behind him. His eyes widened as he realized Milla was sitting at the edge of the stage with her body facing towards him, but her eyes temporarily focused on the blonde guitarist. She was only a few feet away from where Vegeta sat and he watched her while she gave the guitarist a knowing grin. 

Milla posed herself at the edge of the stage, legs crossed. One hand held her red gem bedazzled microphone as she sang and the other curled the cord around her well-manicured finger. 

Milla was short, but her body structure and toned legs gave her some height. She wore an oversized Dead Milkmen t-shirt as a dress that draped over fishnet leggings. Tattoos scattered her pale, olive-toned skin up and down her arms. 

Vegeta, stuck in his tracks for a moment, looked her up and down as she continued to sing. She was actually attractive for a human, he thought. He looked at her deep brown, almond shaped eyes. They were almost cat-like. Her glaringly white smile that was surrounded by full red lips was welcoming and alluring. 

The way the events were unfolding left Vegeta feeling uneasy. He realized that she was teasing and mocking him in the same way Bulma had. He reminded himself that he was the Prince, ruler of all Saiyans, and one of the most powerful fighters in the universe - to Vegeta, this kind of treatment was unacceptable. 

Just as Vegeta was getting ready to leave, Milla caught his angry gaze and smiled at him. She cocked her head and continued to sing, leaning forward towards him.

“Oooh-ooh-ooh, no dear, you’ll be keeping my legend alive.”

Goku and Bulma’s eyes widened out of both fear, shock, and amusement as Milla used her finger to lift Vegeta’s chin closer to her face. Before any of them could even comment on what happened, she turned around and hopped back onto the stage to finish her performance. 

“Enough,” Vegeta growled. He stood up, teeth gritted and palms clenched. He took his fist and knocked his chair over before storming out. 

Goku and Bulma looked at each other, exchanged a small laugh and shrugged. 

“Well, he didn’t stay long - but at least we got our money’s worth,” Bulma laughed. 

Goku and Bulma enjoyed the remaining portion of the show over drinks and bar food which mainly consisted of wings, mozzarella sticks, and french fries. The show lasted for another hour and a half and finished without a hitch. The Forges played their final encore and the crowd still shouted for more. Milla went on to thanking them so that the show could come to its conclusion. 

“Thank you guys for coming out tonight and for being such an awesome crowd. It really is such an honor to perform for you guys and be out here on Friday nights. I hope everyone who comes out knows how much their support means to me and the band as a whole,” Mila said. 

She held up her glass to toast her audience, and the crowd lifted their drinks in return.   
People clapped and whooped as Milla walked backstage and the stage lights dimmed. Other bandmates started to pack away their instruments and tear down the set-up.

The bulk of the crowd filed out of the building, including Bulma and Goku. Others stayed and sat at the bar.

“Should we look around and wait for Vegeta?” Goku asked.

“Ha! Do I look like I have all night to hunt that jerk down? He’s perfectly capable of finding his own ride home, if he hasn’t already.” Bulma said. 

“I guess, if you say so,” Goku said, scratching the back of his neck, clearly feeling guilty. 

“You’re too nice,” Bulma said, pushing Goku out of the bar. 

Backstage, Milla brushed her short hair into a ponytail and grabbed a makeup wipe from her duffle bag. 

“Hey, Milla. That guy you were messing with earlier seemed pretty riled up,” Joey, the tall blonde guitarist chuckled. 

Joey’s hair was styled in a taper fade and his blue eyes were soft compared to his sharp features and long bridged nose. He wore a button up shirt made out of black corduroy that revealed a black graphic tee with yellow writing underneath. His pants were dark grey slim jeans that were accompanied by black leather military-style boots. 

Mila huffed as she swiped at her eyelids with the makeup wipe. “Oh, did he?” she replied. “Doesn’t surprise me since you encouraged me to fuck with him. Not that I disliked it, he’s not bad looking.” 

“Yea, he even knocked over his chair before running out. Guess it was just too much for him.” Joey smirked, nudging Milla with his elbow. 

Milla rolled her eyes before she tossed her makeup wipe in the bin by the door and slung her duffle bag over her shoulder. 

“Alright boys, I’m heading out for the night. We kicked ass today. See you on Wednesday night for practice,” Milla said, heading out the back door of the building. 

“You’re going to be cold.” Creepshow, The Forges bassist stated in a matter-of-fact tone. 

Creepshow was a very thin woman with auburn hair, pale skin, and hazel eyes. She was smart, responsible, and the kind of person that always put logic over emotions. 

Milla wrapped her blue sweater-knit cardigan tightly around her body. 

“I know, but I forgot to bring something warmer,” Milla said. “I’ll be okay. It’s a quick walk.” 

Creepshow sighed as though slightly annoyed and turned to pick up her heavy black instrument case. Milla always assumed Creepshow carrying the case was the equivalent of her carrying her own body weight. 

“Always concerned about me, Creep. You’re like the sister I never had.” Milla teased before leaving through the back exit.

Outside the wind nipped at Milla’s legs through her fishnets, but the air felt nice after a long night of running around on stage.

She started her way to her car, which was parked the street over from the bar. Milla hated crowded car lots and she wasn’t the best at parking, so she usually opted for a spot further away, even if it was a walk. 

As she got to her car, she fumbled for her keys in the pocket of her cardigan. 

“Who the hell do you think you are?” a voice said. 

“Huh?” Milla turned around to see the guy that Joey had just been talking about. The one she had flirted with during her performance. She laughed at the sight of him- brows furrowed and his mouth in a deep frown. His arms were across his chest again as he leaned against her car. 

She noticed what he was wearing; a grey long-sleeved thermal shirt that laid on top his perfectly formed muscles and plain jeans with white sneakers. If he hadn't confronted her randomly in the dark, she would have probably continued to hit on him. He was just her type. 

“What is so funny?” Vegeta growled. “You would not be laughing if you knew who you were dealing with.”

“Oh,” Milla said, raising her eyebrows, feigning confusion. “Let me offer my deepest apologies.” She bowed sarcastically and then rolled her eyes before turning around to get into her silver sedan. She was tired. The last thing she wanted to do is deal with some odd bar creep - even if he was cute. 

Vegeta scoffed and started to walk away. “Foul woman.”

Milla’s eyes widened as she snapped back around to look at Vegeta. She felt a heat start to rise in her chest that made its way to her cheeks, which burned hotter by the second. 

“Excuse me, who the hell do you THINK that you are?” Milla asked, walking towards Vegeta. He stopped walking and turned to face her. 

“You think you can just come and harass me after the show - because of what? Because I flirted with you? Grow the fuck up. I saw the way you looked at me.” Milla continued.

Vegeta stared at her, silently. Still scowling. They were less than a foot away from each other at this point, both nonverbally entering a staring contest with one another. Milla rolled her eyes again and her long lashes fluttered. 

Vegeta noticed her face looked slightly different. He realized her red lips were now a warm shade of pink and her eyes seemed brighter. She had taken her makeup off, but that wasn’t something Vegeta was going to be able to put his finger on to figure out. 

“Pathetic.” Milla said at Vegeta, narrowing her eyes. She got into her car and started the engine.

“What a fucking weirdo,” Milla said to herself, rubbing her face with her palms. 

She enjoyed a challenge and there was obviously some strange chemistry between the two of them. It’s something she decided to push to the back of her mind since she figured he was most likely a freak, a serial killer, or maybe even both. Even if he wasn’t, she didn’t have time for any non-platonic relationships. 

Milla pulled out onto the road and he was still standing where he was before, glaring at her like he was waiting for her to come back and finish what she started. 

“Get the fuck out of here, dude. Go home.” Milla shouted at him before driving away. 

“Some people,” Milla laughed, shaking her head. “Too bad shit’s not entertaining like this all of the time.”

After seeing her drive off, Vegeta headed back into Dirty Darwin’s. The bar had emptied out, minus a few stragglers and staff. 

He sat at the bar counter and asked a bartender for a whiskey served up. 

The bartender came back and set a coaster down in front of Vegeta and then placed the glass containing the caramel-colored booze on top of it. 

Vegeta sipped as he thought about the fire the singer had just shown him. A woman of her size should have no business trying to antagonize any man, much less one as strong as him. 

It made him curious about her and who she was.   
He breathed out and let go of the idea of learning anything further about her. It wasn’t the kind of thing he would typically pursue and he couldn’t imagine finding himself in a place where it was worth the effort it would take. 

Even still, the thought of her lingered in his mind like the whiskey would linger on his breath into the night.


	2. A Small Mark

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter helps you get to know Milla and her personality more! Plus, Vegeta makes another FANTASTIC (sarcasm) impression. Because he’s so great at social cues, right? (more sarcasm). Enjoy!

Saturday morning arrived. Golden sunbeams poured through open blinds in a window next to Milla’s bed. Waking up, she blinked a couple of times to try to adjust to the light.   
“No use,” Milla thought to herself. “My eyelids feel like they weigh ten pounds each.”  
She shifted onto her stomach and plopped her head straight into her pillow.   
“So soft.”  
Milla breathed in the scent of her pillow in a deep breath. It smelled like apples- the scent of her favorite fabric softener.   
Suddenly a wave of realization and horror washed over Milla. She used her arms to push herself up from the pillow, eyes wide.  
“Oh my god, what time is it?” Milla whispered aloud. She flipped over and began to rummage through the sheets to try to find her phone.   
“Where is it?” Milla said, frantic. “Fuck!”  
She unravelled her comforter and shook it until her phone made a loud thud on the floor.   
“9:52? No! Fucking shit!”  
“3 missed calls?? All from Janice?? Great.”  
Milla clicked on the missed call and the phone began to ring. As she was waiting for the phone to pick up, she rushed to the closet, pulling her oversized t-shirt over her shoulders as she walked.

“Hello?” the voice in the phone said.

“Hey, yea,” replied Milla while hopping into one leg of her black slacks. “Is Janice there?”

“No, she left to run errands. Joey’s here though, I’ll give you to him,” said the voice.

“Thank you, dear angels above, for watching over me,” Milla breathed a sigh of relief that it was Joey, her bandmate and coworker that she was going to have to talk to and not her boss, Janice. 

“Ya, you’re welcome. Although, I don’t know if I’d fall under the category of angel,” Joey laughed.

“Joey, I overslept.” Milla said. 

“No shit. I told Janice I sent you to try to get more of that special printer ink from the Office Depot off of 5th,” Joey said. 

“You told me that printer ink was discontinued,” Milla said, with a ponytail holder in between her teeth. Her hands stayed busy pulling her hair back and brushing out bumps with her fingers. 

“Uh-huh. But I didn’t tell her that,” Joey said. “That way when you get here and you show up empty handed, at least you have a reason, ya know?”

“Oh ok, nice! Damn, Joey- I owe you!” Milla said.

“Just get me a pack of cigs and some pretzels for lunch and we’ll call it even.”

“You got it. Thanks again, friend.” Milla smiled. 

“No problem bud. See ya soon.” Joey replied, and then hung up the phone.

Milla took one last look in the mirror. Her hair was pulled back into a high ponytail and silver jewelry hung from her ears. The jewelry was vintage and an emerald sat in the middle of each earring. The earrings were a prized possession- her grandmother gave them to her the year she started college. 

A black blouse with floaty long sleeves and a bow tied loosely around her neck hung slightly off her small frame. The all black outfit made her look put together- professional. Greatly contrasting from the persona she wears at home and on stage during her performances. 

A black and white cat curled through Milla’s legs as she leaned against her dining room chair to strap her tall chunky heels onto each foot. 

“Okay, Chomps. I promise I’ll feed you in just a moment.” 

Chomps continued to rub his head against her ankles and calves aggressively. Just as Milla placed her foot to the floor to walk to the cabinet where she kept the cat food, Chomps placed his teeth on her ankle and bit down- hard. 

“OW, fuck, Chomps! Seriously?” Milla yelled. “I said I was on my way to feed you!” 

Blood trickled down her ankle onto her heel, but she was already late. No time to waste. 

Milla opened the cabinet and pulled out a measuring cup to portion Chomps’s food. He obviously had an food obsession issue. She dumped the food into his bowl, grabbed her keys and ran out the door. 

She sat down into her small silver Jetta and started the engine. As she started her car, it reminded her of the night before. 

That guy- the one with the black, spiky hair and the death glare. Milla allowed herself to reflect and replay her interaction with him. 

She never even got his name. Not that she really cared. What was his problem? He approached her after the show at her car for what reason?

If he wanted to hurt her or be a pervert, there was nothing stopping him. Milla was strong for her small stature, but she was nothing compared to him. He was clearly ripped. She could tell by every muscle in his toned arms, folded over his chest that also appeared to be rock solid. His shoulders were big and built and even though he wasn’t the tallest guy she had ever met, he still towered over her. 

“Too bad he’s fucking odd. He’s hot.” Milla thought to herself. 

Before she could think any further about the situation, Milla had arrived at work. She walked through the front doors of the doctor’s office and found her desk, acting like she wasn’t an hour and a half late. 

“Good morning, Milla. Did you find anything at the Office Depot? I really need that ink.” Janice, the office manager and Milla’s boss said. 

Milla took a deep breath and spun around in her chair to face Janice.

“Janice, I’ve got some bad news about that. They discontinued the ink.” 

“I have a hard time believing that,” Janice said. “Did you ask to speak to the manager?” 

“I did,” Milla said. “I even asked the manager to call the distributor and they said it’s production has been indefinitely suspended. 

“Great,” Janice sighed. “Next time can you clock out if you’re going to take more than 30 minutes to drive across town? Thanks.” Without another word, she turned on her heel and left Milla at her desk alone. 

“NeXt TiMe CaN YOu ClOck Out,” Milla mocked. 

Even though Milla was annoyed by Janice’s never-ending passive aggressive remarks, she was relieved to be relatively unscathed throughout the day. 

However, Milla didn’t get to take her lunch break, which means she didn’t have time to get Joey his thank you gifts for saving her behind. 

Milla tied up any loose ends and threw her purse over her shoulder. She waved goodbye to her coworkers and she walked to the back of the office to find Joey. 

“Hi, friend.” Milla said to Joey, who was slinging his Levi jean jacket over his broad shoulders. 

Joey was about 6 foot, with blonde hair and blue eyes. He was average build, but his arms and legs were lanky. 

Any girl would normally fawn over Joey, but Milla considered him to be like a brother. 

“Heading out?” Joey said while grabbing his keys from his desk and sticking them into his jacket pocket. 

“Yup. Let me take you out to dinner since I didn’t get to buy you pretzels and cigs.” Milla said, starting towards the back exit of the office. 

“I’m down. As long as I get something to smoke and we go somewhere that has the big kind of pretzels.”

Milla laughed. “Sure thing, dude.” 

They both climbed into Milla’s Jetta and started driving to one of their favorite breweries, not far from the bar they perform at every Friday night. 

On the drive over, Milla lit Joey a joint and told her the story of the guy from the bar. How he met her at her car, got defensive, but never even tried to lay a hand on her. 

Joey took a puff and laughed. He told Milla that he assumed the mystery man was probably too nervous to tell her that she was pretty. 

Once they got to the brewhouse, they ordered a full flight of beer, pretzels, and a medium pepperoni and basil pizza to share.

They discussed work, talked shit about Janice, and Joey talked about his multiple sketchy encounters with recent hookups. 

“Alright, you ready to call it a night?” Joey said. 

“Ugh, no I really wanted to finish my beer. It’s only 9:30.” Milla said, pouting at Joey. 

“Normally I would stay with you, but I have to meet my mom for breakfast at 8. She’ll have my neck if I’m not there.” 

“Understood.” Milla said. 

“I’ll just grab an Uber so you don’t have to drive. You should too. Call me if you need anything and please be careful.” Joey said, knowing he couldn’t convince her to leave.

“Ew, you’re not my dad.” Milla laughed. “But yes, I will be extra careful if you insist.” 

“Thanks.” Joey patted Milla on the back before heading outside to catch his ride. 

About 15 minutes later, Goku, Bulma and Krillin walked into the brewery. They sat at the bar, close enough to Milla to get a hint of who she was. 

Goku squinted at Milla. “Hmmm..” 

“What is it, Goku?” Krillin asked. 

“I feel like I’ve seen that girl somewhere, but I can’t put my finger on where.” 

“Ha! I know,” Bulma laughed. “That’s the girl that got Vegeta all flustered!” 

“From yesterday? The singer?” Goku asked. “She looks so different!” 

“She probably works, Goku. Singing isn’t usually super lucrative.” Bulma explained. 

“But she’s so good at it!” Goku said. “Excuse me, miss?” 

Goku had moved over so that he and Milla were a seat apart. He tapped on her shoulder to get her attention. 

“Uh- Hi.” Milla smiled. “Do I know you?” 

The guy appeared relatively harmless and the two friends who joined him gave off good vibes. Milla decided to lessen her guard a little.

“Not really. We saw you sing last night. I just wanted to let you know that we all really enjoyed it!” Goku smiled. “By the way my name is Goku and these are my friends, Krillin and Bulma.” 

“Nice to meet you guys. I’m Milla. Thanks for the compliment and for coming out last night. I’d love to see y’all there next Friday as well.” Milla beamed, cheeks a little pink from the alcohol. 

“I wouldn’t mind going again,” Bulma said. “Your singing is great but it was pretty great to watch Vegeta get all flustered too.” She laughed. 

It suddenly clicked for Milla. The blue haired girl and the guy with the nice smile were the ones who were at the table with the grumpy mystery man. 

“Vegeta?” Milla moved her head to the side a little. “That’s the guy who got embarrassed and left after I flirted with him, right?” 

“Yup. That’s Vegeta!” Goku laughed. “He’s a little hard around the edges but he’s a good guy.” 

“Hard around the edges. That’s one way to explain it.” Milla said eyebrows raised. She took another swig of her stout beer. 

“Wait-,” Krilled said. “You sound like you know Vegeta.” 

“Hardly.” Milla smiled. “He approached me at my car after the show.” 

Bulma laughed. “So that’s where he went! It doesn’t sound like he made the best impression.” 

Milla puffed up her chest and held her arms out to the side like she had big muscles. “If you knew who you were talking to, you wouldn’t be laughing. Foul woman!” Milla said, imitating Vegeta. 

The four of them shared a laugh before Goku was pulled off his barstool. 

“Kakarot! Did you forget about our night training? I’ve been waiting for over 30 minutes and I find you HERE of all places, doing god knows what with-“ 

Before Vegeta could continue, Milla placed her hand on Vegeta’s shoulder. 

“Dude. Shut up, relax. Drink a beer or something before your head explodes.” 

Vegeta’s face pulled in a snarl as he looked to see who would have the nerve to say such a thing. His eyes met with Milla’s and his expression turned from anger to shock. 

Bulma, Goku, and Krillin sat and watched. They were surprised at Milla’s bluntness with volatile and moody Vegeta. 

“You,” Vegeta said, brushing Milla’s hand off of his shoulder. “What are you doing here? Are you all just friends now or something?” 

“And what does it matter to you?” Milla laughed.

“Ugh.” Vegeta scoffed. “You’re intoxicated.” 

He crossed his arms and inhaled the air again. “And you’re bleeding.” 

“What?” Milla furrowed her brow in confusion. She was definitely weirded out again. 

He leaned down to follow the smell. 

“Dude, what the fuck?” Milla cursed at Vegeta. 

“Here.” Vegeta brushed his finger against the bite marks on her ankle. “Looks like some kind of small animal marked you.” 

Milla then remembered that this morning she didn’t have time to attend to her wound from Chomps. 

“Oh, you’re right. That was Chomps.” Milla and Vegeta’s eyes met once more. 

“Wow, Vegeta! That’s crazy how you knew that just by smelling.” Goku said. 

Vegeta scoffed and rolled his eyes in response. 

“Who’s Chomps?” Krillin asked.

“My cat. He bites when he’s hungry, so I named him Chomps.” Milla said. 

“Hmph. Your cat and I have something in common then.” Vegeta said while giving Milla a sly grin. 

“Kakarot, I’ll let you play your little games for now. But I will not be as lenient if you fail to show for training tomorrow morning. ON TIME.” 

Before Milla could even process Vegeta’s words, he had already left. 

“Looks like someone has a little crush on Milla,” Bulma said and gave Milla an encouraging wink. 

“What’s his deal?” Milla asked. “Why can’t he just buy me a beer or ask me out like any normal human being.” 

“Probably because he’s a Saiyan!” said Goku. “And so am I!”

“A what?” Milla said, looking lost.

“I can explain it all later,” Bulma said. “If you’re free you should come over to my place tomorrow night and I can fill you in. I could make dinner for everyone!” 

“Are you sure we can’t do it tonight,” Goku whined. “I’m hungry.” 

“Goku, you just cleared the wing place we went to of their entire inventory for the week. You don’t think you can wait until tomorrow?” Krillin asked. 

“I guess.” Goku pouted. He quickly perked up. “Can you come, Milla? It’d be so fun to have you there!” 

“Sure, I can go.” Milla said. She was apprehensive, but the kind nature of the three in front of her and the craft beer bubbling through her system told her to not worry about it. 

“Great! Do you have an iPhone?” Bulma asked. 

Milla dug in her pockets and pulled out her iPhone.

“Awesome,” Bulma said. “I’ll just connect to your phone through mine and give you all of our numbers, and it’ll put your number into our phones.” 

At this point, Milla was ready to go home and sleep. She nodded her head in agreement. 

“You look tired Milla, do you need a ride home?” Krillin asked, aware of how quiet Milla had gotten. 

“Please.” Milla replied, her eyes fighting to stay open. 

“I can help. Where do you live?” Goku said.

“Apple Cove apartments. Not too far from the Sprint skyscraper.” Milla said. 

“Got it! Put your hand on my shoulder.” Goku smiled at Milla, helping her onto her feet from the bar. 

“It’s okay, Goku I can walk.” Milla said. 

“Just trust me.” Goku looked down at Milla and held his hand out.

Milla reluctantly gave her hand to Goku and he placed it on his shoulder. Milla’s arm was almost completely extended, making the height difference between the two of them glaringly obvious. 

Krillin chuckled. “Man, I thought I was short.” 

“Bye Milla! See you tomorrow at the party!” Bulma said as she waved. 

“Bye, nice meeting you. See you tomorrow.” 

Goku placed his fingers to his forehead and before Milla could blink again, she was in front of her apartment complex. 

“Holy shit, am I really that drunk?” Milla said, eyes wide. 

“It’s instant transmission. Pretty cool, huh?” 

“I’m not even going to crack open that can of worms tonight,” Milla said before hiccuping.

“Is it okay if I walk you to your apartment?” Goku asked. 

“No really, you’ve done a lot. Thank you for all your kindness.” Milla said. 

“Please. I wouldn’t feel too good if anything bad happened to you.” Goku said while scratching the back of his neck. 

“Okay-“ Milla said reluctantly. “Promise you’re not creepy?” 

“I don’t think I’m creepy?” Goku said innocently while looking at Milla. 

“I don’t think you are either,” Milla chuckled between hiccups. 

Goku walked Milla to her apartment, made sure she was settled, and even fed Chomps. 

She was fast asleep by the time he was ready to go home. Goku pressed his fingers to his forehead and transmitted to the kitchen of Capsule Corp.

“Boy am I starving!” Goku said while rubbing his stomach. 

“Kakarot.” Vegeta said, standing in the doorway of the kitchen. 

“Oh, hi Vegeta,” Goku said with his head in the fridge. “Did you come to get snacks too?” 

“What I was doing in this kitchen before you got here is none of your business.” Vegeta said, pushing the bags of fruit snacks further into the pocket of his black sweatpants. 

“Oh. Okay.” Goku said. “That Milla girl is really nice, the singer one?” 

“So that’s her name. She has an attitude,” Vegeta stated plainly. 

“I’m guessing that’s something you like in women.” Goku shrugged, a plate with an entire turkey in his hands. 

“Kakarot-“ Vegeta growled, stepping closer to Goku. 

“Good news, she’s coming to Bulma’s get together tomorrow night. You’ll get to spend more time with her. If you play your cards right, you might be able to have a normal conversation with her too.” Goku laughed. 

“Why do you smell of her?” Vegeta asked. 

“I took her home. She was pretty drunk and I didn’t want her to try to make it home alone.” Goku said in between bites. “You could’ve taken her if you would’ve stayed longer. 

Vegeta scoffed and walked out of the room. “Training. 8 AM. DON'T be late.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I LOVE a sweet Goku... it’s hard for me to write him without almost wanting to ship him with Milla. But this is Vegeta’s time to shine :)


	3. Tsk, Tsk, Tsk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> First little SeXy encounter between Milla and Vegeta. Includes alcohol use, because apparently Milla has a social drinking problem. Maybe she should take up something normal like knitting? Just kidding. Anyways, imma shut up! Enjoy the sexy asshole that is Vegeta.

Milla opened her eyes, groggy and tired from the drinks the night before.   
“Two days in a row that I’ve barely woken up,” Milla thought to herself. “I need to get my shit together.”  
She shifted to sit up and realized she was on the couch in her living room. A pillow was propped behind her and she was covered in a blanket.   
Milla strained to think for a moment who would’ve gotten her here like this. If it was up to her she would’ve just thrown her pants off and crashed on the couch; no pillow or blanket needed.   
“Oh shit, it was that Goku guy,” Milla remembered. She recalled zapping from the bar to the apartment complex in no time flat.   
Milla questioned her reality for a moment and decided to push it to the back of her mind. She wanted to say thank you to Goku more than anything.   
She looked around for her phone which was sitting on the coffee table next to her alongside the water bottle from her purse.   
“Goku is a really nice person. Mentally noted.” Milla mumbled to herself with her voice hoarse.   
She unlocked her phone and was met with a missed call from Joey and a text message from her other band mate, Devon.   
Milla played the voicemail from Joey.   
“Hey, just got out from my breakfast with my mom a while ago- wanted to make sure you made it home okay. Shoot me a text whenever you’re up so I know you’re good. Talk to you later.”   
Milla opened the band group chat with Joey, Devon, Sideshow and herself labeled “The Forges”.  
Devon: “Hey guys. I just got paid. Anyone want to go grab some food tonight?”   
Milla typed in her response and hit send.   
Milla: I would, but I’ve been trashed the last two days and I got invited to a get together tonight. I swear it never ends. Maybe we can go on Wednesday after practice?   
Devon: get together? That sounds fun.   
Joey: with who?   
Sideshow: Wednesday sounds good.   
Milla: with the friends of that guy who stomped off in a mood Friday night. They showed up at the brewery we went to after work a while after Joey left.   
Joey: no way. I always miss the action. Was the guy there?   
Milla: he made an appearance, but didn’t stay long. He basically sniffed my ankle and left.   
Sideshow: dude, what the-   
Devon: interesting..   
Joey: and you’re sure you want to go tonight?   
Milla: yea his friends are normal. and actually really nice. One of them took me home and made sure I was okay.   
Joey: well that’s good, I guess.   
Devon: have fun!   
Sideshow: I wouldn’t go if I was you.   
Milla: thanks for the advice. I’ll let you know how it goes lol. 

Milla exited the group chat and looked for where she could find the contacts that Bulma had put into her phone. At least Milla remembered she had put them there; she wasn’t completely sure how reliable her memory was at this point.   
She scrolled through her contact list until she eventually found Bulma, Goku, Krillin, and an extra contact. Vegeta. Reading that name gave her an unknown feeling in the pit of her stomach. She hadn’t decided if the feeling was good or bad.   
Milla clicked on Goku’s contact and sent him a quick message. 

“Hi Goku, this is Milla from last night. I just wanted to say thank you for being so kind. And for feeding my cat. I hope he didn’t cause you any trouble.” 

She got up and decided to shower. It was long overdue at this point. As she undressed she made note of the mark on her ankle from Chomps. 

“How could he smell that?” Milla thought to herself. She remembered the buzzing beneath her skin and shock of him placing his finger on her ankle. 

Buzz-buzz. 

Milla glanced at her phone. 

Goku   
1 message 

Bulma   
1 message 

She opened Goku’s message first.   
“Hi Milla. I’m glad you made it home safe!-“   
“Thanks to you.” Milla thought.   
“Your cat was nice. I wasn’t planning on feeding him but he wouldn’t stop staring at me. So I figured he must have been hungry. When I zone out, it’s usually because I’m hungry.”   
“Is this man ever not hungry?” Milla laughed, leaned up against her bathroom sink   
“You were probably right. Chomps is always hungry. I have a feeling he wasn’t zoned out, lol.”   
Milla then opened Bulma’s message.   
“Hey there! Hope you’re feeling okay this morning. I thought I would ask if you have any allergies before I figured out what we’re having to eat tonight. You can come over anytime after 5 and the address is in my contact.”  
Milla responded, “No allergies! Looking forward to it :)”   
Milla showered, blow dried her hair and pulled her curtain bangs into a roller at the top of her forehead. Staring at the closet, she had no idea what to wear.   
“Maybe I should’ve asked Bulma what’s appropriate,” Milla thought. “No, that’s weird. Just guess. It’s just a get together.”  
Milla decided on knee-ripped, loose jeans that folded at the ankle and buttoned tightly on her small waist. She threaded through the loops of the jeans a black leather belt with silver ringlets and a matching chain that clipped on a ringlet in the front and a ringlet in the back.   
Milla picked out two tops. A long sleeved, cropped shirt that was mainly white with thin black horizontal lines and an oversized black graphic tee with a white scorpion on the front.   
She tied the oversized t-shirt in a knot at her bellybutton. For shoes she decided it was best to just wear her black and white converse sneakers. Keep it casual.   
She did her makeup last. Milla always chose wings for eyeliner. She thought they best suited her and made her small, dark eyes look larger. She smoked the wings out with a dark brown eyeshadow and added a little to the far bottom corner of her eye.   
Milla mixed her foundation with a little bit of plain lotion and dabbed it onto her skin with a sponge. For finishing touches, she added blush to her cheeks and nose then put on just enough red lipstick to make her lips look hot pink.   
She then sprayed her favorite perfume, Juliette Has a Gun, behind her ears and on the inside of her wrists.   
Milla checked the time on her phone: 4:30 PM.   
She mapped out the drive from her place to Bulma’s. About a 20 minute drive.   
She pulled the roller out of her bangs and ruffled her hair with her fingertips to make it all fall into place. 

As soon as she walked out of the bathroom, Chomps was sitting outside of the door, waiting for her. 

“Okay, Chomps I’ll feed you early tonight. Just spare my ankles. Please.” 

Milla picked up the large tuxedo cat and hoisted him over her shoulder to walk to the kitchen. 

After making sure Chomps was taken care of, Milla hopped in her car and headed towards the address she was given.   
~

“Destination is on your right.” The GPS spoke.   
“No fucking way,” Milla uttered to herself. “No way this is the right address.   
Milla pulled into the driveway of Capsule Corp. and stopped at the gate.   
Right outside the driver’s window of Milla’s Jetta was a keypad to the gate. It had a little metal plate engraved with the words “if you are a guest, press the red button below.”   
Milla pressed the red button and the keypad began to beep like someone typing in a phone number.   
“Is that Milla?” A familiar voice spoke from the speaker.   
“Uh-huh.” Milla said, staring up at the large dome-like building in front of her.   
“Welcome! I’ll be out to show you around in just a second. Just pull through the gates and drive straight until you hit the parking lot.”   
“Thanks, Bulma.” Milla replied to the keypad.   
With a loud clunk, the gates began to retract and leave room for Milla’s car to pass through. She followed directions and drove straight until she found the parking lot.   
The parking spaces were small and the lot was crowded, so Milla found herself pulling her car in and out of one of the available spaces to try to make her car straight without hitting anyone. She hated parking.   
After a fourth try, she decided it was good enough and started stuffing her phone and keys into her purse.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK 

Milla jumped at the sound of the knocks on the glass window and turned to see Bulma waving at her. 

“How is she so pretty?” Milla thought to herself and offered Bulma a shy smile. 

Bulma was classically pretty with a perfect hourglass body and hair that always seemed to lay in place no matter how she styled it. 

Milla stepped out of her car with her purse hung over her shoulder. 

“I’m glad you made it okay! I didn’t think you were ever going to make it past the parking lot,” Bulma teased, elbowing Milla playfully. 

“I am terrible at parking.” Milla confessed. 

“It’s okay, everyone has their weaknesses. You can’t park and Vegeta doesn’t know how to have a normal conversation.” Bulma laughed. 

Milla laughed in return and allowed her shoulders to relax as she followed Bulma into the building. 

“The group’s right through those doors on the left,” Bulma said, pointing. “I’m going to go see how the food is coming along, but I’ll be back in a sec. Make yourself at home. Oh, and I hope you’re hungry!” Bulma said as she walked away. 

“Nice, thanks!” Milla responded. Her stomach growled and she realized she hadn’t eaten since the night before. Hopefully they were cooking something good. 

Milla walked down the hall and opened the door Bulma had pointed to. As soon as she opened the door Milla was met with colored lights and music. She looked around and saw no one she knew among a crowd of people. 

“What kind of get together has this many people?” Milla mumbled, looking around for any familiar faces. 

“Hey, Milla!” Krillin said while approaching you. “Come this way, our crew is hanging out over here.” He grabbed her hand and guided her through the crowd to a corner that had a full setup. 

A large booth, flatscreen TV, mini bar and chefs station sat behind a velvet rope that Krillin lifted for Milla and himself to walk under. 

Milla was wordless, taking in everything happening around her.   
“GET LOW, get low, GET LOW, get low,” Lil’ Jon blasted through the speakers. 

“I know it’s crazy. Come sit, I’ll order you a drink.” Krillin said, noticing the look on Milla’s face. 

Krillin scooted into the booth and offered Milla the space opposite to him. From the booth, the music was not so loud- at least to the point that Milla could hear her own thoughts. 

“Hi Milla!” Goku said, making Milla realize he was sitting right next to her. “Did Bulma happen to say how much longer until the food comes out?” 

“Sorry, Goku, I didn’t.” Milla smiled at the large muscular man next to her. 

“Darn.” Goku said, obviously disappointed. “Have you met everyone here? I’ll introduce you to everyone just in case.” 

“There’s Krillin, you know him. Next to him, is Piccolo. Piccolo, this is our friend Milla. 

“Hey.” Piccolo said and offered you a small smile. He waved a hand from his crossed arms and then refocused on what he was concentrating on prior to the introduction. 

Milla smiled back but was completely at a loss for words. This man, Piccolo, was green. Green like grass and huge; absolutely ripped just like Goku and Vegeta. 

“On the other side of Krillin is 18,” Goku said. 

“I like your shirt.” 18 said. Milla realized she had on a similar white long sleeved top with thin black stripes. 

“I like yours too,” Milla laughed. 

“We have a couple of other friends here too- Yamcha, Tien, and Vegeta, but I don’t know where any of them are,” Goku said. 

“So Vegeta is here.” Milla thought to herself. 

“It’s so nice to meet all of you.” Milla beamed at her new friends. 

“Alright- send it right to the booth and just set it wherever. Good news everyone! Food’s here!” Bulma said, waving the waiters to the booth where Milla and the others sat. 

Bulma took a seat next to Milla and a huge variety of food was placed on the table.

“This is our drink menu- anything sound good?” Bulma asked, handing you a baby blue piece of thick, textured card stock. Milla wondered how much the menu alone cost to make. 

“Don’t worry about the prices, those are just for the other attendees. The bar is funded by us, so you can order what you want,” Bulma said. 

“I’ll start off with a raspberry mojito, please,” Milla asked. 

The waiter nodded at Milla and ran to put in the new drink orders. 

“Move, Kakarot.” Vegeta demanded. “I will not be denied access to my dinner.” 

Goku moved to the side and Vegeta sat next to you and proceeded to add food to his plate. 

“Uh, excuse you!” Milla said, turning to face Vegeta, who was a little too close to her for comfort. It was okay when Goku was close, because Goku was her friend. The last thing she wanted to see was him get bullied by this asshat. 

“Can I help you,” Vegeta said plainly without taking his eyes away from his food. 

“Actually, you can! You see, I was enjoying a meal with my FRIEND Goku before you decided to interrupt. You can sit at the end of the table like everyone else who is just getting here.” Milla said, pointing her finger from Vegeta’s face to the edge of the booth.

Being this close to Vegeta was strange for Milla in a number of ways. His thigh was practically inches from hers and she could feel the warmth radiating off of his body. It made her skin that was closest to Vegeta’s tingle in the same way it did when he had touched her ankle. 

“I don’t have to listen to you,” Vegeta scoffed.

“It’s okay, Milla. I don’t mind,” Goku said, food stuffed into each cheek of his mouth. 

Piccolo gave a grunt of irritation at watching Vegeta’s rudeness. Piccolo knew Vegeta could be insufferable at times.

“Raspberry Mojito?” The waiter called. 

“Yes, that’s me.” Milla called. “Thank you.” She said as she grabbed the metal mug. 

“I’m definitely going to need this being next to Vegeta all night.” Milla muttered to Bulma. 

They both laughed before Vegeta interrupted. 

“Petty little earth women. If you have something smart to say, why don’t you say it aloud. Have some pride in your thoughts and actions.” Vegeta said at Milla before taking another sip of his drink. 

“I’ll tell you anything you want to hear, buddy. Only if it means that you’ll speak out loud and stop keeping so much locked in that huge head of yours.” Milla said, making a knocking motion towards his head. 

“Anything I want to hear, huh?” Vegeta smirked. “Maybe for that, I’d consider letting you in on some of my thoughts.” Vegeta said as he twirled a strand of Milla’s hair around his finger directly in front of her face. Milla turned and made eye contact with Vegeta. She felt like that look lasted forever. 

Milla could smell the scent of his cologne and a small trace of alcohol on his breath. He’d been babysitting the same drink all night, but it was straight liquor and the scent was still apparent. 

Milla parted her lips to clap back to his advances but before she could Bulma grabbed her hand and pulled her from the booth. The string of hair curled around Vegeta’s finger unfurled as Milla was yanked away.

“Whatever those thoughts are, they’re gonna have to wait, Vegeta!” Bulma yelled while dragging you away. 

“Vegeta has all night to play his little games with you. I figured you could use some girl time,” Bulma smiled while pulling you to the main bar.   
“Ugh, definitely. I don’t know how to feel about him. Vegeta.” Milla felt his name roll off her tongue and it sent a shock of electricity through her. She wondered how strong that mojito was.

“You don’t have to know how you feel about him. Even if you think he’s cute, it’s not like it has to be anything serious.” Bulma said while waving down a bartender.

“Two margaritas on the rocks with an extra lime wedge, please.” The bartender immediately dropped what he was doing to start on the drinks Bulma ordered.

“I mean, he’s definitely attractive- don’t get me wrong. But it’s like there’s a screw loose or something. I mean is he a sociopath, or what?” Milla laughed.

The bartender set the two drinks down in front of Bulma and she slid one of the glasses towards Milla.

Bulma tucked her straight, blue hair behind her ear and took a sip of her drink before giving a thumbs up and winking at the bartender.

“That man has way too many emotions to be a sociopath. I definitely thought of him as that at one point as well- and maybe he was one. But as he’s gotten older and spent more time on Earth, he’s changed a lot!”

“I think it’s time you explain what you mean by, ‘since he’s spent more time on Earth.’” Milla said eyebrows raised. 

Bulma explained the story of how she had met Goku when they were both younger and the crazy adventures they had gone on. She explained how they had met each one of their friends, including Vegeta and how Goku had found out his true origins. 

Milla had a hard time keeping her jaw shut when Bulma told her that Vegeta had destroyed whole planets, killed thousands, and even tried, threatened, or succeeded in killing members of their friend group on multiple occasions. 

“And this story was supposed to convince me that Vegeta ISN’T a sociopath?” Milla said.

“All of that was a good while ago,” Bulma explained. “Whether he likes to admit it or not, he’s grown attached to Earth. And regardless of if he fights those who threaten us for the competition against Goku, or because it actually means something to him, he still does it. Plus, I don’t think he would come to these little get-togethers if he really hates us all that bad.”

Milla pressed her thumb against her lips, nodding in agreement. “I see what you’re saying, but-”

“Milla-” Bulma laughed. “If he wanted to hurt you, he would’ve done it already or you would have never seen him after that initial interaction in the bar.”  
Milla stopped and listened.

“No one else really gets away with talking to him, or touching him, or making fun of him like you do,” Bulma shrugged. “We still do it, but there’s a difference. When we do it, he acts like there’s a mosquito in his ear- he just gets annoyed. When you do it, he gets fired up for some reason. It may seem like he’s being a dick, but I think he’s trying to have fun with you. In his own special way, of course.”

Milla looked down at the scuff marks on her black and white converse then back up at Bulma. She gave a timid smile. 

“I definitely have some things to think over about him. But nothing I’m interested in taking action on tonight.” Milla said. 

“That’s okay. I can tell that you’re a sleepy drunk,” Bulma laughed. “Do you want me to see if Goku can get you home.”

“No, that’s okay. Last time I saw him he was still stuffing food in his mouth like he was preparing for hibernation. I wouldn’t want to take him away from that,” Milla said, smiling. “Regardless, i’m just normal tired. I’m good to drive.”

The last thing Milla wanted to do was impose on her new friends even more. They had barely met her and they had already shown her so much hospitality.

“Are you sure? If you don’t want Goku to take you I can get one of the drivers to take you back if-”

“No, Bulma. I swear I’m good to go.” Milla said, putting her hand on Bulma’s arm and squeezing slightly for to give her reassurance.”

“If you swear,” Bulma said. “Text me next week so we can make plans again. I like hanging out with you.” 

“Thanks, Bulma. I like hanging out with you, too. I’ll shoot you a text after work sometime next week.” Milla gave Bulma a quick hug and left to find the door to the hallway that she entered through.

Milla thought to herself that she probably should have said goodbye to the others, but at this point she was starting to feel really drowsy and just wanted to make it home with her eyes open. 

She finally found the door to the hallway and walked through. As the door shut behind her, it was strange how clinical and plain that hallway was compared to the huge room where the party was taking place. The building was a technology facility and lab but the contrast was still so stark. 

After getting adjusted to the bright fluorescent lights, Milla walked slowly down the hallway and out the front door, using the wall as support. She tried to make it as casual as possible, but she knew if anyone saw her, they would see straight through her. Her converse squeaked like they would in a basketball court as she drug her shoes across the plastic tiles. 

She finally made it to her car by repeating to herself mentally, ‘slow by steady wins the race,’ over and over again. Milla used the hood of her Jetta as a guide to the drivers door, but before she could open it she was interrupted. 

Someone placed their hand over hers. “You’re not really thinking of driving, are you?”

Milla looked up and allowed her vision to focus. She made out the black, spiky hair and furrowed brow and immediately knew who it was. 

“Thank you for the help, but no thanks,” Milla said. “I may look inebriated, but I assure you alcohol, even in small amounts, just makes me very tired.”

“Do you think I’m blind, woman?” Vegeta asked, grabbing Milla’s other hand and stabilizing her. His actions offered some strange kindness, but the look on his face and the tone of his voice offered none. “You look like you’re about to blackout, not lay down for normal rest.”

“Where are your keys?” Vegeta asked without hesitating. He started to move Milla towards the left side of her car.

“Oh no, no, no,” Milla said. “You are NOT driving me home.”

“Well, I would fly you there if I didn’t think the speed would knock you out with your level of intoxication.” Vegeta scoffed. He propped her up against the car next to them and opened the passenger door to the silver Jetta.

“I don’t have to listen to you,” Milla said with a smirk, remembering Vegeta’s harsh response to her earlier in the night.

Vegeta closed the passenger door of the Jetta and pushed Milla’s back flat against the car she was leaning against. There wasn’t a lot of space between the two cars due to Milla’s crooked parking job, but Vegeta managed to press himself between the two cars and against Milla. He cradled her chin in his fingers and looked down at her almost like he was sizing her up.

Milla’s eyes were wide and her eyebrows were slightly furrowed- she wasn’t upset with what was happening, but she was definitely confused. Vegeta smelled so good and the feeling of his fingers on her face made her whole body feel like it was full of electricity. His body pressed up against her on this car felt magnetic- it felt right. Her body pressed back against his. 

“You’re going to listen to me,” Vegeta whispered through a grin down at Milla. Still holding her chin up to him, he pulled her face closer to his lips. “I can tell by the way you’re looking at me right now and by the way you looked at me in the booth.”

Still leaving very little space between the two of them, Vegeta propped his hand that was on her chin up against the car behind him.

“Tsk tsk tsk,” he said, tapping the end of Milla’s nose with the index finger of his free hand. “Too bad I can’t have you forgetting what a good girl you can be. Maybe next time you won’t drink yourself to this point.” He pushed himself off of Milla as though nothing had happened and opened the passenger door again.

Milla’s back still sat against the side of the car she was just pressed into- her mind and body were still racing. They both screamed for Vegeta to come back- to finish what he started. She opened her mouth to say something in response and Vegeta nodded towards the seat. 

All Milla could manage was, “Cocky bastard.” She sunk into the passenger seat of her Jetta and handed him the keys. 

“What the hell have I gotten myself into?” Milla thought, letting her head lean back against the seat. She closed her eyes and fell asleep before she could think any further.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alrighty, this is the last chapter I’m finished with, working on the next one today but I’ll try to release at LEAST one a week.   
> I love feedback, so feel free to drop it below or check me out on tumblr @vegetasleftsock for more DBZ goodness. Or if you just want to chat!


	4. Shells

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, if you’re reading this- I hope you’re okay. And if you’re not okay, that’s okay. I’m not super okay, but I find a lot of solace and happiness in writing this story. If it brings some happiness to you as well as you read it, that means the world to me.   
> Enjoy this chapter, “Shells.”

Vegeta had never driven a car before, but he figured that it couldn’t be that hard.  
To him, earthlings were so simple and so was their technology. The only inventions he had been impressed with was technology that came from the doors of Capsule Corp.   
He thumbed over the keychain you handed him. There must be at least 10 keys on this tiny loop- he rolled his eyes at the concept.   
“Why can’t they just make one key for their specific needs instead of 10 individual keys that can so easily be replicated,” Vegeta thought.   
Vegeta looked ahead and saw the VW logo on the steering wheel and recognized it from one of the keys.  
“They must connect somehow-“ Vegeta said to himself with a furrowed brow.   
He leaned to look around each side of the steering wheel.   
Vegeta spotted the keyhole and a slight smirk grew over his face. He placed the key with the VW logo into the car and turned it like a lock. The car engine hummed, ready to go.   
Milla shifted and awoke to the sound of the engine starting.   
She blinked a few times to focus her vision and saw Vegeta looking at the controls, figuring out what each one was supposed to do.   
He had driven many ships before, but not one that operated in the same way as a car. Vegeta makes sure that he’s got control over the situation and the machinery before he takes off in most cases. The control is what’s important to him.   
“Vegeta-,” Milla spoke with her eyes still closed, breaking the silence.   
Vegeta froze for a brief moment. There was something about the quiet uttering of his name coming from her lips that caught him. Almost as quickly as he had frozen from her voice, he brushed it off as though it didn’t affect him. He didn’t want her to see him stop, not that Milla would in her current state.   
“Hm?” Vegeta looked turned to Milla for a brief moment, waiting for her to speak.   
Milla fluttered her eyes open and turned her head to face Vegeta.   
“Have you never driven a Volkswagen before? The brakes are a little sensitive but that’s all you should worry about,” Milla squinted her eyes a little to try to make out the emotions on Vegeta’s face. Her vision was too blurry to tell exactly what he was doing.   
“Quiet,” Vegeta said. “It would be smart for you to rest before you worsen your current state.”   
Milla gave a lazy thumbs up and closed her eyes again.   
Vegeta reversed the car and slowly pulled out of the parking space, attempting to straighten the car from the crooked position it was parked in.   
“Could you have parked this car any more sideways?” Vegeta said, not expecting a reply.   
“I’m not good at it. I usually park far away, but this was the only space,” Milla said, keeping her eyes closed this time.   
“Pft. Pathetic.”   
“You better be glad that I’m out of commission or I’d-,” Milla started.   
“Or you would do what, exactly?” Vegeta said, “Burn me with your words? Oh, I’m so afraid,” Vegeta chuckled, amused at Milla’s attempt at a threat.   
“I’d still put you in your place,” Milla shrugged.  
“Enough, I told you to stop straining what little energy you have left. Where is your phone?” Vegeta said, stopping at an intersection and placing his hand out.  
“Dude, I’m not going to give you my phone. If you need to know where you’re going use your own and I’ll give you the address.”   
“Ugh,” Vegeta rolled his eyes. “You must make things difficult for your enjoyment.”   
Vegeta reached into his pocket and tossed his phone into Milla’s lap.   
“Type it in.” Vegeta stated. “Quickly.”   
Milla pressed the button on the side of Vegeta’s phone and the screen came to life. Of course he would be the kind of guy to leave the screensaver on a default.   
“Password?” Milla asked.   
“123456.” Vegeta replied.   
“Creative.” Milla responded.   
“I didn’t ask for your input,” Vegeta stated. “I said quickly so that I know where I’m going.”   
Milla found the GPS app on the front page of the apps and typed in her address. She handed the phone back to Vegeta by placing it in his lap.   
“Hmmm, I wonder,” Milla giggled.  
“Silence, woman!” Vegeta snapped.   
“I wonder,” Milla persisted, slurring a little as she talked. “Why can Goku just zap us there and you can’t?”   
Milla remembered Bulma telling her about Vegeta’s constant competition with Goku. She said this specifically to tease him.   
“I suggest you stop talking and tend to things that are actually relevant to you,” Vegeta growled, clearly frustrated.   
Milla ignored Vegeta and traced her finger around the lines that his tricep and bicep muscles made through his long sleeved thermal shirt. He tensed slightly under her touch and wondered how she could be so casual despite his lack of reception.   
“Is this not it?” Vegeta asked, placing the car into park, trying to avoid looking directly at Milla who was still entranced by his arm.   
Milla perked up and looked around.   
“Yea this is it. Thank you.” Milla rubbed her eyes with the front of her wrists sleepily. Her eyeliner and mascara smeared slightly around her dark eyes.   
“I will walk you to your apartment.” Vegeta stated, taking the keys out of the car and promptly stepping out.   
He walked around to the passengers side and opened the door once again and offered his hand to Milla with no words.   
“Hey, I’m really thankful you got me here, but really- I’m good now,” Milla said, turning her legs so her feet sat on the pavement.   
“Tch,” Vegeta said, not moving his hand. “You can waste my time as we sit here or I can take you inside. There is no third option.”   
Milla allowed her eyes to roam her surroundings. It was completely black out, minus the street lights and the fluorescent lights leading to each apartment. Her legs felt like jelly and her stomach was turning.   
She pushed each long sleeve up onto her elbows, revealing the tattoos that sprinkled across her forearms.   
Milla reluctantly placed her hand in his, wondering if she was making the right decision. She wasn’t the kind of person to let strange men in her house when she wasn’t completely sober. Goku was a stretch- but he was so innocent and kind. Milla could only hope Vegeta would offer her his own version of kindness.   
Vegeta squeezed her hand and hoisted her out of the Jetta.  
He was thankful that she gave in. Despite not wanting to waste his own time, it was important to him that he was the one to guard her in a vulnerable state; not Kakarot.   
Vegeta questioned why he had suddenly developed this desire to be near Milla, to ensure her safety in a time like this. The sexual attraction was clear to him. If wanted to have intercourse with her he would have already. This was a more intimate need growing within him- one he was not comfortable with.   
He had only met her a handful of times at this point, mostly short interactions. Each time they interacted Vegeta saw Milla’s fire and quick wit. She was so small, not any taller than Krillin, but she had the attitude of someone triple her size. This both infuriated Vegeta and intrigued him. The intrigue coupled with the fact that he was, in fact, attracted to her gave him enough motivation to pursue her. At least to the time being.   
Milla stumbled a little bit as she took her first couple of steps after sitting in the car for a half an hour. She landed directly into Vegeta’s chest and relaxed into him for a second. When she realized what she was doing, she parted herself and allowed them both some space.   
“How cliche,” she laughed.   
Vegeta looked up and exhaled sharply. “Where is your apartment?”   
“Over to the left. 434,” Milla said while pointing towards her first floor home.   
Vegeta took Milla’s hand and slung her arm over his shoulder to stabilize her. They walked in silence until they arrived at her door.   
“Oof,” Milla said as Vegeta dug her keys out of his pocket.   
“What?” Vegeta asked while unlocking her door.  
“Second night in a row I’ve had to have a man I barely know take me home. Responsible, huh” Milla laughed.   
He ignored her comments and flicked the light switch in the entrance of her apartment. He walked into the apartment, leaving Milla at the doorstep.   
“Uh, hello? Welcome in, I guess?” Milla said   
“You shouldn’t be so nonchalant about your safety.” Vegeta said.   
He walked across her kitchen, opening cabinets and drawers.   
Milla plopped into a seat at her kitchen table.   
“Says the guy I’ve only met three times who invited himself into my home. So sweet of you to worry about my safety as you invade my kitchen,” Milla said, untying her shirt so that it went from revealing her midriff to swallowing her small frame.   
“What are you doing anyways?”   
“You barely ate,” Vegeta said, grabbing a pan from a low cabinet. “That’s half of the reason the alcohol had such an effect on you. You’re too puny to consume like that and expect it to present no challenges.”   
His voice showed irritation, but Milla could see it as a facade for his concern.   
Vegeta lit the gas stove underneath the pot of water and grabbed a glass. He filled it with water and sat it in front of her.   
“Drink.” Vegeta said.   
“Okay, can I at least go put something more comfortable on first?”  
“Can you even walk on your own?” Vegeta said with an eyebrow raised.   
“Doesn’t matter, I’ll figure it out,” Milla said, lifting herself out of the wooden chair. “Last thing I need is you in the room creeping on me while I get undressed.”   
“I-I wouldn’t-,” Vegeta started, struggling for a response.   
“It’s okay bud, don’t have to get all flustered,” Milla chuckled, patting Vegeta on the shoulder. She staggered past him and down the hallway to her room.   
Vegeta took a moment to re-establish his ego and walked over to the stove. He turned towards the pantry to pull out the box of pasta shells he had seen. Vegeta stood with his arms crossed, trying to figure out where the shells were hiding.   
“Ah, next to the diabetes cereal,” he snarked. “How could I have missed it.”   
He moved back towards the stove, but stopped in his tracks. On the counter next to the pot of a boiling water was a large tuxedo cat, staring directly at him.   
“Can I help you?” Vegeta stared back at the cat, waiting for it to leave.   
The cat sat, unwavering, refusing to break eye contact with the stubborn man in front of him. It was almost as if they were in a battle of willpower- who would break first?   
“Ugh, stupid cat! Stop looking at me!” Vegeta snapped.   
The cat failed to break eye contact with the Saiyan, seemingly unphased.   
“Hmpf,” Vegeta chuckled. “Lacking a few brain cells are we?”   
Vegeta approached the cat and snapped his fingers around his face, trying to produce a reaction.   
“Hello?” Vegeta placed his face in front of the cat, who continued to follow Vegeta with his eyes, “ANYONE HOME?”   
The cat finally broke eye contact with Vegeta and hopped down from the counter.   
Vegeta turned his nose up, enjoying his win against the fat feline.   
“FUCK!” Vegeta responded to the pain coursing through this left ankle. He looked down to see the cat with his fangs gripping into his skin. Before Vegeta could blast the cat, he ran and disappeared as quickly as he had appeared.   
“You ok?” Milla said, shuffling down the hallway in slippers and an oversized pink t shirt with the words, ‘there goes my last fuck’ printed across the front.   
“That blasted obese animal bit into my leg,” Vegeta growled. His rage quelled slightly when he looked down at her with her hair disheveled and makeup smeared. She was smiling at him, almost laughing.   
“So I’m guessing you met Chomps.” Milla said, holding back her laughter.  
“I don’t know what you find so hilarious, but I see now why you were bleeding that day. Maybe you should find another one that’s not defective.” He said as he turned to dump the entire box of pasta into the water.   
“He’s not defective, he’s just hungry,” Milla said. She pulled the cat's cup out of the food cabinet and portioned the right amount before pouring it into a bowl. Chomps scurried at the speed of light to the bowl.   
Milla shuffled from the cat’s bowl to behind Vegeta. She pressed her palms on top of his shoulders and tried to peer around him.   
“How much pasta are you making?” Milla said, smirking.   
Vegeta tensed up, surprised by her lack of boundaries.   
“Enough.” He turned to look at her. “God, do you not even have the decency to wear pants?”   
Milla shrugged and walked to her couch. “It’s not any different than a dress.” She pulled the throw blanket that she was tucked into the night before back over her.  
“Wake me up when the food is ready.” Milla said before curling up against the couch cushions and closing her eyes.   
Vegeta waited until the pasta appeared soft and drained the extra fluid into the sink. He wasn’t really accustomed to making a proper meal for anyone, so he didn’t even think about sauce. He added a pad of butter and some salt, but didn’t worry about anything else.   
Vegeta picked the first bowl he could find and pushed half of the shells into it. He left the rest in the pot and walked to the couch to hand the bowl and the glass of water he had poured earlier to Milla.   
He saw her, completely asleep and curled up against the couch. Her small feet peeked out of the blanket with the slippers still on. Brown, thick hair covered most of her face and her mouth hung slightly open as she breathed quick, shallow breaths. Her tattooed arms hugged the blanket close to her chest.   
Vegeta knew Milla had told him to wake her up, but he couldn’t bring himself to it. She was quieter this way and it was more beneficial for her to rest at this point.   
He sat the bowl and the glass down on the coffee table in front of the couch and crouched down to the level of where Milla was laying. Her back was facing him but he allowed himself to watch her breathing for a moment. Vegeta tried talking himself into the idea that it was to make sure she was still alive, but deep down he knew it was because he wanted to be close to her.   
Vegeta stood up and took the bowl with him back to the kitchen. He placed the rest of the pasta in a bowl, wrapped it with Saran Wrap, and wrote ‘Milla’ on the wrap in black sharpie.   
After placing the bowl in the fridge, he piled the dishes into the sink and walked to the couch to check on Milla one last time.   
He crossed his arms across his chest and walked to the front door, turned the padlock, and closed the door quietly.


	5. Putty

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OH YEA! It’s time! Get ready for some smut, because that’s basically this whoooooole chapter. Enjoy!

Vegeta woke up from his short sleep at 5 AM. He sat up and pulled his arm to the side, stretching. His strong muscles pulled back against the stretch, lengthening and tensing as he moved.   
He cracked his neck side to side and got up. Vegeta’s never been the kind to linger in bed. His goal was to always get the bare amount of sleep to perform at his maximum and get back to training.   
He straightened his bed, pulling the dark navy comforter back over the grey sheets that covered his queen-size mattress.   
Buzz buzz buzz. Buzz buzz buzz.   
Vegeta walked over to his bedside table and saw that his phone was ringing. Who could seriously be calling him this early? 

Incoming Call   
Milla 

Vegeta’s brow furrowed and his eyes widened- how did she even get his number?   
How was her number in his phone without him even knowing about it? 

“Uh- Hello?” Vegeta said, voice raspier than usual from having just woke up. 

“Hey- you weren’t asleep, were you?,” Milla laughed.

“Not when you called, but I- no.” Vegeta stopped himself. “How did you get my number, woman and what is it that you want at this hour? With your level of intoxication just mere hours ago I’m surprised you can even speak.” 

Vegeta leaned with his shoulder up against his bedroom wall while he spoke on the phone. He was still in his boxer briefs and was trying to get into his training armor while he spoke. He had a set schedule- and he would be damned if he let some silly earth girl dominate his time. 

“Good. Glad to hear I didn’t wake you up,” Milla started. “Bulma synced a couple of contacts into my phone and you just happened to be in there. Didn’t think I would ever have a use for your number at the time, but here we are.” 

“Get on with it. If you called just to chit-chat I have better things to do with my time,” Vegeta said while pulling on his white boots. 

“Riiight. I’ll get to it then. I’m off of work today at noon and you're coming out with me after. As a thank you,” Milla said. 

Vegeta scoffed. “I will be training past noon. Don’t expect me to be there then. I will come to you when I’m ready.”

“Mmm… okay, but how am I supposed to know when-,” click. “Rude! Whatever.” 

Milla went back to her contacts and decided to draft a message to her group text. She knew there was no way any of the guys would be awake. 

Milla: So.. about the party I went to. I ended up getting tired because y’all know how I am when I drink too much. The angry guy, his name is Vegeta and he ended up driving me to my place. He’s definitely a grump, but he’s actually okay to be around. I’m taking him out tonight as a thank you.

Joey: No fucking way. 

Milla: I didn’t expect any of y’all to be up at this hour lol 

Joey: So he JUST drove you home? 

Milla: Well, he drove me home, and then tried to cook for me. Then I knocked out and he left. 

The thought of that just reminded Milla- what happened to the pasta he cooked? Did he just eat it all? 

Milla walked to her kitchen and saw the pan and silverware in the sink.

“Thanks for leaving me the fun part,” Milla said to herself, eyeing the small pile of dirty dishes. 

She walked over and opened the fridge to see what ingredients Vegeta had used and that’s when she saw it. One of her large salad bowls was filled to the brim with plain shell pasta, neatly wrapped in saranwrap with the words, “FOR MILLA.”

Milla was aware from her interactions with Vegeta that he was not the kind of guy who seduced women with grand gestures or even kind words. But this bowl of pasta was shockingly intimate for him. In whatever fucked up world he was from, this was his way of saying that Milla was worth his time. 

She opened her phone to text Vegeta. 

Milla: thank you. for the food and for bringing me home. I’ll see you tonight.

Vegeta didn’t answer, but she didn’t expect him to. 

Meanwhile at Capsule Corp, in the gravity chamber, Vegeta was taking a water break. He was in the middle of his third water bottle refill when he heard his phone buzz. 

The words from Milla’s text flashed up onto his screen. He stared at the words for a couple of moments and then put the phone away.   
Vegeta felt a strange warmth growing in the pit of his stomach and burning through his chest. It got stronger as he remembered her from the night before. Milla’s messy dark hair strewn across her face as she slept. The sight of her small torso rising and falling as her breaths became shallow and quick. How her dark eyes looked up at him as he cooked. The feeling of her palms on his back- how good it felt to be pressed against her in that parking lot; how good it felt to be in control. 

He stopped himself. The feeling of warmth in his body was growing and he wasn’t ready to admit what that feeling meant. 

“Damn breakfast burritos,” he muttered, pressing his fingers against his stomach. “They must have given me indigestion.” 

~ 

Milla had returned home from work after giving Joey the full scoop of what happened. Joey was surprised and skeptical, but willing to see what played out since Milla seemed genuinely interested. 

She unlocked the door and shuffled through, setting her bags on the dinner table to the left. While kicking off her shoes and putting them on her shoe rack, Chomps approached her and sat at her feet.

“Hi Chomps,” Milla said and gave him a light pat. 

Milla walked down the hall to her bedroom and started stripping out of her work clothes. She started by peeling off her work slacks and pulling her earrings out and placing them into her jewelry box.   
She pulled her blouse up over her head and unclipped her pink silk bra, letting it fall over her shoulders.   
Her hair fell flush against her bare shoulders as she slipped on her fuzzy house shoes.   
Milla started her way to the laundry room, which was accessed through the kitchen, to grab some clothes and a more comfortable bra.  
Vegeta sat on her couch, arm slung over the back cushion, trying to avoid eye contact with Chomps, who was staring straight through him from the opposite end of the sofa. He had thought about knocking, but once he saw the door unlocked he figured it was a great opportunity to remind Milla of the importance of minding her security. He sensed her energy coming back towards the living room and stayed unmoving but ready to start his lecture.   
Milla entered the room, oblivious.   
“You know, you should really take more notice of-,” Vegeta started before looking up.  
Milla screamed out of shock, eyes wide, “WHAT THE FUCK, OH MY FUCKING GOD!”  
She ran and ducked behind a wall, arms crossed to cover her bare breasts.   
Vegeta looked up just soon enough to realize she was almost completely naked and joined her shock, “GOOD GOD WOMAN, DO YOU EVER WEAR CLOTHES?”   
“IT’S MY HOUSE, I DIDN’T REALLY EXPECT A VISITOR TO BARGE IN!”  
“MAYBE YOU SHOULD LOCK YOUR DOOR BEHIND YOU, YOU DOLT!”   
Milla sighed, catching her breath. He was right about locking her door.   
“Close your eyes, perv,” Milla said.   
“Pervert- ugh!” Vegeta spat. “How was I supposed to guess you would be nude?”  
“You welcomed yourself into my home without knocking or letting me know, in the midst of me changing,” Milla said. “Close your fucking eyes, dude!”   
Vegeta closed his eyes with his head leaned back against the couch and crossed his arms over his chest.   
“Go on.” He said.   
Milla scurried past him through the kitchen and into the laundry room.   
She slipped on a sports bra, a black sweatshirt and gym shorts.  
She walked back into the living room and walked directly in front of where Vegeta sat on the couch with her arms crossed.   
“Can I open my eyes now,” Vegeta said in a low voice, sensing her presence in front of him.   
“No,” Milla stated sharply. “You can’t just walk into my place and not even knock, or text, or call.”   
She leaned over him and moved her face close to his, hands on her hips.   
“Not. Nice.” She whispered against his cheek.   
Vegeta felt a spark build within him from the feeling of her warm breath against his skin.   
He tried to remain unphased, keeping his eyes closed, not reacting.   
Milla decided to make a bold move- she wrapped her arms around Vegeta’s neck and placed her lips on his gently. She swung her legs around to straddle him and pressed her body against his.   
Vegeta raked his hands into her hair and deepened the kiss, making it more urgent and aggressive.   
He moved his tongue to find hers and Milla eagerly granted access. Vegeta breathed her in and loved every second of it- being like this with Milla made his blood hot in the best way possible.   
Milla separated herself and started kissing Vegeta’s perfectly defined jawline and moving towards his neck.   
Vegeta let out a low groan of approval and moved his hands down her back and over her curves.   
She nipped at the soft skin at the base of his neck and Vegeta responded by pulling her against his groin.   
Both of their needs were growing quickly and intensely.   
Milla placed her forehead to his. “You cool with where this is going?” She asked, anxious for a response.   
“Yes,” was all Vegeta said before pressing his lips onto hers again, exploring her chest with his hands.   
Milla parted herself again and jumped off of the couch. She grabbed his hand and dragged him down the hallway to her bedroom.   
As soon as they made it in the room Vegeta pulled Milla in for more. He snaked his hands around the nape of her neck and her waist. Milla kept one hand grasping his hair and snuck the other hand onto Vegeta’s rock-hard cock. His cock throbbed in her hand and he separated himself from their kiss to undress Milla.   
“Guess there was no reason to hide after all,” Vegeta smirked at Milla, referring to the incident that happened just moments before.   
Milla rolled her eyes. “Shut the fuck up and show me what your made of.” She purred and bit his lip.   
Vegeta laughed and pulled off Milla’s sweatshirt and shorts, revealing her tattooed arms and chest before pulling his own shirt over his head. He shoved her shoulders and she landed flatly on the bed.   
Milla laughed, enjoying every second of the events unfolding. Her laugh quickly ended with a sharp intake of breath. Vegeta had his hand on the outside of her panties and was rubbing through the fabric, causing the wetness to seep through.   
“Fuck,” she breathed, looking down at him. Vegeta made eye contact with Milla as he pushed her panties to the side and started lapping at her sensitive bud. His dark eyes made her melt, and every time she looked into them, she felt what was like an electric wire tighten and spark in her core.   
Vegeta hooked his fingers into her panties and pulled them off of her legs. Milla sat up and moved to unbutton Vegeta’s jeans, eager to return the favor.   
He shifted his legs and pushed down his jeans and boxer briefs, allowing his ready cock to spring free. Milla crawled to the edge of the bed where Vegeta stood and lifted one hand to grab the base of his cock. She used her tongue to create slick up and down his length, looking up at him through thick eyelashes.  
“Get on the bed.” Milla demanded.   
Vegeta happily obliged but hovered over Milla, pinning her hands above her head and moving his mouth across her neck and chest to leave little marks.   
Vegeta grinned as he felt Milla fidget in anticipation beneath him. This was all for him- he had reduced her to putty in his hands and it only motivated him further. He grabbed his cock and teased her entrance, her slick covering his tip.   
“Ugh,” Milla groaned, frustrated at the lack of control and release. “Enough!” She snapped at him and pushed his shoulder with her hand. He shifted up off of her and waited to see what the response was about.   
“Flip.” She demanded.   
So much for putty.   
He glared at her, but listened and flipped, falling into Milla’s plush sheets.  
Milla leaned her head back and laughed with satisfaction. She looked into his eyes with an evil grin and bit her lip.   
“Yes.” She muttered before spitting onto the tip of his cock. Vegeta’s eyes widened, and Milla fed off of his response. She used her hand to stroke him and move the moisture around his length.   
She moved her lips onto him and swirled her tongue around his tip and while cupping his balls in her free hand.   
He bucked his hips in response, jutting his erection further into her mouth. He grunted as he hit the back of her throat, feeling himself harden further.   
Vegeta bundled her hair in his hands and tugged, she looked up in response.   
He sat up and guided Milla so that they were face to face again.   
“You want me to give you the fucking you deserve?” Vegeta asked, wiping the saliva off her chin with his thumb.   
“Yes,” she responded, exploring each part of his perfectly sculpted chest with her hands.   
“Beg.”   
“Vegeta-“   
“Beg!” He growled, switching positions with her and positioning himself at her entrance. He tapped his cock on her clit, waiting for her response.   
“Fucking shit, please fill me, Vegeta.”   
Vegeta smiled at her eagerness.   
“Good girl, Milla.” He stroked her inner thigh with his hand as praise, and slowly began to insert himself into her warm center.   
Milla’s eyes rolled back and she moaned at the feeling of his cock filling her completely.   
He started slow and rhythmic, allowing himself to take in the sensation of her core around his sex.   
Vegeta could feel Milla swell around him- that, along with her pushing her hips against him with every thrust doubled his excitement.   
“Ass up for me.” Vegeta said as he pulled out of her.   
Milla happily obliged and crossed her arms underneath her head which she laid on the pillow.   
Vegeta gripped her ass to the point that her skin had turned white against the pressure of his fingers. He slid back into her and groaned.  
Vegeta leaned over Milla’s body as he thrusted into her and started rubbing circles on her swollen clit.   
“V-Vegeta,” Milla stuttered in response, her walls began to throb as she neared her release.   
“That’s right, let go for me. I want to feel you come.” He panted into her ear.   
Another couple of thrusts and Milla’s legs started to shake.   
“I’m gonna come,” Milla managed before unraveling.   
“Fuck,” Vegeta said, feeling her pulse around him as he neared his own release.   
“Come for me, Vegeta.” Milla said through heavy breaths. “I want you to come inside me.”   
“You sure?” Vegeta questioned through a growl- she could tell he was on the edge.   
“Yes,” she said. That was all he needed.   
He slowed his thrusting and pumped into her fully, filling her with his seed.   
Milla pulled herself off the bed and smiled. He brushed his hands through her hair and cupped her face.   
She planted a small kiss on his nose and started to the bathroom to grab a towel. “You’re not bad, champ- I’ll tell you that. Milla winked at him and he rolled his eyes and scoffed in response.   
She handed Vegeta a towel and sat down on the bed beside him.   
“You hungry? I had planned to take you to one of the best restaurants in town, but we got a little carried away,” Milla said while pulling her sweatshirt back over her head.   
“Starving,” Vegeta said.   
She patted him on the back and gave him a big smile, “Well, get dressed! We better get going before it gets packed!”   
Vegeta stared at her, eyebrows furrowed as she looked in the mirror and brushed through her messy hair.   
He was used to women clinging to him and wanting intimacy after sex- he was willing to suffer through it to appease them most of the time, but Milla’s casual attitude shocked him. It was almost as soon as they finished she treated him like they were platonic friends.   
Vegeta wasn’t completely sure what he wanted to sprout from his relationship, but she always made him curious. That was all he recognized at that moment, but that itself was enough to earn her a spot in his life for the time being.


	6. Promise and Pride

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is particularly meaningful.. lots of great angst and more background about Milla.
> 
> Thank you to MinyaPaws for helping me with concepts and editing. I feel like my work really transformed after our conversation. Please go read her story, "Ox Queen" if you haven't already. It is FANTASTICALLY written and so well thought out. 
> 
> If you've read this far, thanks for sticking with the story! Find me on Tumblr @vegetasleftsock.
> 
> Leave your feedback and thoughts in the comments! I love to read them :)

A tall, thin waitress with curly red hair and a bright smile approached the high top table where Milla and Vegeta sat. She was wearing a tight, navy blue, v-neck t-shirt and ripped skinny jeans with a black apron tied around her tiny waist. 

The attractive waitress shone her blindingly white smile at the pair and handed them each a menu and a set of silverware. 

“Hi, guys! Welcome to Umai Ramen! My name is Amy and I’ll be your server today.” She glanced back and forth between Vegeta and Milla before clapping her hands together. “Can I get you two started with something to drink? We have soda, beer on tap, and sake.”

Milla stared at her intently as she spoke and gave her an earnest smile before starting to order. “We’ll both have whatever craft beer you’re into at the moment,” Milla said, still smiling softly at the redhead with her cheek in her palm. 

Vegeta glanced up from his menu and watched the interaction silently. He raised an eyebrow and questioned to himself why Milla seemed to be laying it on thick with this waitress. 

“Actually,” Vegeta started, causing the waitress to stop the scribbles she was making on her notepad and look up towards his voice. “You can get me a water.”

The woman awkwardly smiled and nodded her head. “You got it. I’m going to go ahead and put these in for you guys while you take a look at the menu. Be right back!” The waitress said with a polite grin before striding away.

“She’s so pretty,” Milla said nonchalantly while her eyes glazed over the long, creme colored, laminated menu. 

Vegeta scoffed and looked mildly disgusted. “She looks like she could be crushed with a gust of wind.” 

“If you don’t think she’s hot, you’ve got some fucked up taste.” Milla shrugged while still glancing over the menu. 

“Ha!” Vegeta laughed, setting his menu down on the wooden table to cross his arms across his chest in a gesture of confidence. “What does that say about yourself-”

In the middle of speaking, Vegeta had realized what he just admitted to, but it was too late to take the words back. 

Milla sat in silence, staring, burning a hole through her menu. Without moving her face, she glanced to the side and then looked up to meet Vegeta’s gaze. 

She analyzed his face and saw him trying to play it off, but the color in his face was a dead giveaway. It was the same face he had made the night they had met, when Milla had used her finger to lift his face towards her while she performed. 

Milla rolled her lips in, trying to hide her smile and spare his pride but she couldn’t contain herself any longer. She burst out into laughter at the sight of him. His wide-eyed reaction sent her even further into her laughing fit until she buckled over from the cramps in her side. 

She was flattered, but the look he gave her after he slipped was what made her lose it. Had Vegeta not acted like a little kid with his hand caught in the cookie jar, Milla might have entertained the conversation in a different way. 

“Hoo!” Milla breathed while wiping a tear from her eye. “That was fucking hilarious.” She said, still slightly chuckling. 

Before Vegeta could respond, the waitress reappeared and started to set cardboard coasters on the table, followed by their drinks. 

“Alrighty, guys. Are we ready to order?” The waitress said, pen and pad ready. 

“Yes,” Milla said, regathering herself. “Can I please get a black tonkotsu with the thicker noodles?”

“Sure can. And for you?” The waitress asked, looking to Vegeta.

“Uh- I’ll have the same thing,” Vegeta said, realizing he hadn’t finished looking at the menu.

“Awesome! We’ll get that right out for you.”

“Thank you,” Milla beamed. “By the way, your hair is just so gorgeous.”

Vegeta rolled his eyes and looked away, refusing to watch as Milla flirted with the taller female.

“Well, thank you! That’s so sweet,” the woman said, shining her big bright smile and happy eyes at Milla. “Let me know if you guys need anything else!” She nodded towards them before walking away.

“So, I’ve never asked,” Milla said, trying to revive the conversation. “What do you do? Bulma told me that you like, fight and protect the Earth and shit, but is that all you do?” She said before taking a sip of her beer. 

“Is that all I do,” Vegeta derided her question, almost mocking her. “Saiyans are warriors meant to pursue greater power. It’s not some silly little Earth duty. In fact, I’ve neglected my training by being here.” 

Milla pursed her lips and nodded. “ _ Not _ a silly little Earth duty. Noted.”

“I can’t imagine what kind of dull positions Earthlings hold anyways.” Vegeta stated plainly.

“For your information, not all of them happen to be dull,” Milla said, rolling her head to the side a little bit, her eyes looking up and appearing to question her own words. “My day job just so happens to be kind of bland, but it makes ends meet.”

“My point.” Vegeta said.

“Guess you got me there.” Milla laughed, her arms crossing on the table. Her sleeves were pushed up to her elbows, leaving her tattoos on display.

“What’s the reason for these?” Vegeta asked, his eyes set on her body art.

Milla looked at him, eyebrows raised. “My tattoos? I’m guessing that’s not something people have where you’re from. They’re all stories, things I find beautiful, or am attached to.”

“This one is a date,” she said pointing to a roman numeral on the side of her wrist. “My mom and dad shared a birthday and it’s also their anniversary. My mom passed not too long after I was born and my dad, Leo, would honor her memory every year on that day by continuing to celebrate as if she was there. It helped me feel connected to her, even though I never really met her.”

Vegeta sat, quietly listening as Milla continued to explain the story behind each of her bigger pieces.

Milla pointed to another tattoo, this one on her forearm. She laid her arm flat on the table to show him. 

“This one is my childhood dog, Pinto. I grew up with him and he’s easily one of nicest dogs I’ve ever known. It was hard to lose him, but I got this tattooed so I could always see his sweet face wherever I go.” She admitted, a small smile crossing her lips as she remembered her black and tan lab. “Have you ever had a pet? You don’t seem much like an animal person.”

The first thing that came to Vegeta’s mind was Nappa. Having to babysit him was the only thing he could relate to having that kind of responsibility. He just shook his head. 

The waitress returned to their table with two large ceramic bowls. “Okie dokie, we have two black tonkatsu with udon noodles. Is there anything else I can grab you? Everything looks good?”

“Looks fantastic. Thank you.” Milla said.

Vegeta and Milla continued to learn more about each other over dinner. There were even a few moments where both of them shared small laughs. Milla liked being able to make Vegeta smile, even if it was just for a quick moment and even if it was only because she said something sarcastic about someone else. 

After they paid the bill and left a substantial tip, Milla convinced Vegeta to follow her back to her apartment, despite his apparent resistance. He was spending a lot of time away from his training- too much time. He feared he was becoming too comfortable in his situation and that it would put him behind in his progress. The thought itself was unacceptable, but he pushed the feeling into the back of his mind- at least long enough that he could enjoy the events that ensued once they returned. 

Their night was filled with repeat followed by several other repeats of their initial sexual encounter earlier that afternoon. 

Vegeta tested her limits, and she tested his patience in a way that only further motivated his lust towards her. They ended only when they were both completely spent, which is a state that landed upon Milla long before Vegeta- but not something she was going to willingly admit or display. 

The pair stayed where they worked to sleep for no reason other than pure exhaustion, but it’s not something that either of them were angry about. Milla enjoyed having a warm presence close in her bed and felt herself starting to let her walls down just slightly. Her chest clenched when she thought about it. Lust was one thing, friends with benefits was one thing, but commitment was not something she was ready for or even consciously interested in. 

She thought about one of the values that her father always drilled into her.

_ Milla’s father, Leo, sat in the driver’s seat of the car. His blue eyes remained on the road ahead as he spoke to her. He was average height and build, wearing a black t-shirt, loose fitting jeans and motorcycle boots. His hair and goatee were silver, although it always had been since she was a little girl. He told her once that he started graying at 18 and that he was completely gray by 20. He was heavily tattooed, with almost his entire torso filled with art. Leo left his hands, neck, and face empty so that he could still look professional at work, but now, on his day off, his tattoos laid freely on display from what his t-shirt left exposed. A single tattoo adorned the pinky side of his fist, a squashed insect, which represented a story from his childhood.  _

_ “You have your whole life to settle down, have kids, and do domestic shit,” Leo said. “Travel. See the world. Pursue your biggest dreams. And if you’re still dissatisfied after that, THEN find a partner. It’s not worth it before that point.” _

_ Milla pouted her lip out. As a young girl, she always wanted to date like her friends did. At this time, she was 12 and in middle school and Leo still forbade it.  _

_ “I don’t understand why I can’t find someone I love and travel the world WITH them,” Milla said, looking at her father who frowned at her response. “Wouldn’t that make it more fun?” _

_ “It’s hard to understand this now, but when you meet someone you love, your world stops. It starts to focus around them and you don’t feel the need to put your effort into other things. That is until that initial bond fades and you’re left with regrets.” Leo said, gaze unmoving from what was in front of him. “You fall in love, you get married, you settle down and before you know it you have bills and kids who need and deserve all of your time and attention. It’s not fair to them to be selfish.” _

_ Milla looked down at her hands as she twiddled her thumbs. She didn’t want to believe her dad. She wanted to love and to be loved by someone so bad.  _

_ “Milla,” Leo said, glancing over at her. “If nothing else, promise me you’ll see the world. I know I’m asking a lot of you, but there’s so much out there past this little town. All the foods you and I try, you’ll love them more in person. I want you to feel whole whenever you do find your partner and I know this is the best way to do it. Promise me, Milla.”  _

_ Milla looked up towards her father, her only family in the whole world, and saw him as a parent, pleading with his only kid to not make the same mistakes he made. As it often did, her heart hurt for him. _

_ “Okay, dad. I promise.” Milla said, running her father’s words through her head, almost as if she was recording them for safe keeping. “What if i’m afraid?” _

_ “It’s okay to be afraid, but remember. You have to let your confidence win over that fear. Never let it overpower you, never let it win.” _

_ Milla clenched her fists, battling a list of fears in her head: the fear of being alone, the fear of not fulfilling her father’s promises, the fear of failure, the fear of being hurt. _

_ She looked down at her hands again, nails digging into her palms. “I won’t dad. I won’t ever let it win.” _

Milla heaved a deep sigh after replaying the memory in her mind and thumbed over the date on the side of her wrist. Her mom’s date. Her dad’s date. 

Her heart felt like it caved into her stomach. It had been five years since she heard her father’s voice. The father that made her who she is. The reason why she performs, the reason why she lives outside of the norm. He was also the father who broke her heart and her spirit. She kept this brokenness shoved deep inside where no one could ever see. No one was ever going to see her hurt, her fear- especially not her father. Not after what happened between them. 

She looked over to Vegeta laying next to her. He was either asleep or pretending to be. His face usually looks so angry, but now she thought he looked strangely relaxed. 

Milla stared at the ceiling and wondered what exactly she had gotten herself into. Regardless of what she felt for Vegeta, and regardless of how her father hurt her, she was never going to give up that promise that she made him. 

~ 

Early morning came and Milla carefully lifted herself out of bed, doing her best not to awake Vegeta from his sleep. 

She brushed her teeth and washed her face before going out to the kitchen. She decided she probably couldn’t keep as quiet as was necessary while cooking, so she crept back into her bedroom, grabbed her headphones and closed the door slowly until there was a soft, ‘click’. 

Milla started to pull pans and ingredients out from her cupboard and put an earbud in each ear. She switched to her dirty pleasure playlist- country music. It reminded her of home and though she would rather die than admit she had an affinity for the genre, it was her favorite music to cook and do chores to. 

Milla started by mixing the dry ingredients: flour, sugar, baking powder, salt.

Then the wet ingredients: eggs, milk, and melted butter. 

As she combined the wet and dry ingredients into a batter, she sang along to the music softly. 

“ _ Amarillo by morning, up from San Antone. Everything that I’ve got- is just what I’ve got on _ …”

She turned on the stove and pulled a cup of chocolate chips out of a container. 

“ _ When that sun is high in that Texas sky, I’ll be buckin’ at the country fair _ …” 

The lyrics reminded Milla of small town dances, sunsets rising over fields of endless corn, the smell of morning dew and rich soil. 

Milla was always the odd one out. She remembered an incident her freshman year of high school. Her basketball team told everyone to wear boots, but the only boots Milla owned were knee-high Doc Martens. She had assumed it would be okay since it was all she had. When she showed up, everyone was wearing western boots except for her. The seniors on the team zeroed in on her and made sure she knew that she was the black sheep of the team. This was just the start of a long line of incidents that occurred through her time in her tiny Texas town. 

It took years of separation and a strong sense of nostalgia to bring her back to listening to country music. Now, she was confident that she could push those who alienated her to the back of her mind and focus on the good memories that the music was a soundtrack to. 

“ _ Amarillo by mornin’, Amarillo, I’ll be there.”  _

Milla grabbed a pat of butter from the fridge and tossed it in the pan. The heated pan sizzled on contact with the butter, and she rotated the pan to coat it. 

“ _ They took my saddle in Houston, broke my legs in Santa Fe. Lost my wife and a girlfriend, somewhere along the way.”  _

She remembered cooking these same pancakes with her father on Sunday mornings.

It was her grandmother’s recipe- the same one who gifted her the emerald earrings she wore every workday. 

Leo was an amazing cook. Before Milla’s mom passed, he had aspired to become a chef and go to culinary school. Although taking care of Milla became a full-time job as a single father, it never stopped him from experimenting with new dishes and teaching Milla as much about the culinary arts as he could. 

_ “Look Milla,” Leo said. “It’s all in the wrist.” He grinned widely before flipping a pancake up into the air and back into the pan.  _

__ “Wow!” Milla cheered, clapping for her father. “I wish I could do that.”   
  


_ “Practice makes perfect.” Her father said, tearing a piece of the pancake off and feeding it to Pinto, who was wagging his tail happily at the offering.  _

Milla turned the volume up on her headphones, hoping to drown out the thoughts that made her miss everything she used to have. 

She grabbed a spoonful of batter and poured it carefully into the pan before methodically placing chocolate chips into the raw, gooey pancake. 

_ “But I’ll be looking for eight when they pull that gate- and I hope that judge ain’t blind.”  _

Vegeta woke up in an unfamiliar place. He realized he was still in Milla’s bedroom. He had stayed the night. Fallen asleep. Trespassed his boundaries for himself and everyone else. The discomfort with his current situation swelled inside of his chest. He needed to leave- now. 

Vegeta hastily put his clothes back on, looking around and trying to figure out where Milla had gone. He was hoping that she had already left for work. The last thing he needed was Milla looking at him with those dark brown eyes and questioning why he was rushing. It would only be a greater waste of his already poorly spent time. He heard her singing from outside the door and came to terms with the fact that she was fully awake and home. This was not going to be easy, but Vegeta was not going to play a coward’s game. He had his pride. 

He walked out the door and stood a couple of feet behind her and leaned against the wall, arms crossed. He listened to her sing for a moment, allowing the peace to remain for a few seconds more. As she sang each word, her accent was more and more apparent. He thought that it must be a quality she chooses to suppresses.

“ _ Amarillo by mornin’, Amarillo’s on my mind.”  _

Milla placed the golden brown pancake on top of the stack that was growing on a plate next to her and turned to grab another pat of butter from the fridge. 

When she saw Vegeta out the corner of her eye she jumped, startled. Her face turned bright red while she wondered how long he had been standing there. 

“You just love to sneak up on me, don’t you. Take a seat,” she gestured at the kitchen table with her spatula. “There’s enough ready that you can at least have a first serving.” 

“That won’t be necessary,” Vegeta stated plainly. 

“Oh yea?” Milla said, plucking an earbud out of her ear. Her heart sunk a little at the thought of being left alone with her feelings. She didn’t want to address how she felt about Vegeta, but his presence was still comforting. “Got somewhere you have to be?” 

She held her confidence in her throat, knowing at any moment if she took a deep breath, it would come tumbling out and break her facade. 

“Yes,” he said, looking towards the sun peeking out into the dark night sky, creating the tip of a sunrise. “This is the last time we can do this.” 

He turned his face towards her and their eyes met. He watched as her face contorted with confusion and what he thought may be a hint of anger. 

“Do what, exactly?” Milla asked, her tone sharpening. Her eyebrows furrowed and she blinked like it would somehow correct the words she was hearing. 

“Be around each other in this capacity. I know you’ve grown close to people inside of the small web of people I know, so I don’t expect to not see you. But never again in private.” 

If looks could kill, Vegeta would be long gone.  Milla sat the spatula down and turned the stove off. 

“What the actual fuck, Vegeta?” She growled under her breath while clenching her hands into her fists like she would every time she was scared as a little girl. Her fingernails dug further into her palms as she seethed.

“This has been a waste of my time.” Vegeta said, his stare matching her intensity.

Milla’s forehead bunched up and she threw her head back and laughed.  In the back of Vegeta’s mind, the laugh reminded him of unsettling memories from his past. Her laugh was fueled by pure rage. 

“A waste of  _ your  _ time, huh?” She said with one hand on the kitchen chair, tapping her foot in rhythm with her racing heartbeat. 

She walked up to him and shoved him back by the shoulder. He barely moved, but the action made him stumble slightly out of surprise.  He glared at her, hoping she’d let it go, but it seemed to only fuel Milla further. 

“Since we’re sharing our feelings, do you want to know what’s a waste of MY time?” Milla snapped. “YOU. Thinking you can literally barge your way into my fucking life like some rouge bulldozer. Honestly Vegeta, what kind of fucked up are you that you literally had me thinking for EVEN A SPLIT SECOND that I might have cared about you? You took care of me, took interest in me, LITERALLY admitted your attraction to me and led me on to think you cared and now you’re just going to act like I don’t exist? Because why, Vegeta?” 

She pushed her chest against his brick wall of a body shoving him back slightly, looking up at him as he looked straight past her. 

“HUH? look at me.” She said in a low tone. 

He flipped his glare down to look her in the eye. The more time he spent here, the more damage would be created and he was well aware of that. 

“Because why, Vegeta?” she said, getting close to his face. “Because it’s too much for you? Is the  _ brave Prince Vegeta _ too afraid to face his own fucking feelings?” Each word she spoke was like venom. “Just as I thought initially. Fucking. Pathetic.” 

She held eye contact with him for another full moment before shoving herself away from him. She turned around and started walking towards her bedroom. 

“Get the fuck out, Vegeta.” She said. 

Vegeta stood where she left him, his blood boiling at the brim of each insult that cut into his pride.  He didn’t have his father, he didn’t have his people, but he had his pride. 

“And you think you can get off acting like some little spoiled brat?” He laughed, smirking at her as though her words left him unaffected. 

“Vegeta. Shut the fuck up and get the fuck out!” Milla yelled. 

“How could you be so dense as to think that I would be interested in  _ commitment  _ with a dirty little Earth brat like you? I wouldn’t dare destroy my royal bloodline by choosing someone like  _ you  _ as my mate.” Vegeta said, lying through his teeth.

“Dude, you are  _ seriously  _ fucked up! Get the FUCK out of my house, Vegeta!” Milla shouted, pointing at the door.

He took a couple of steps towards and locked eyes with her, their staring contest commencing once again. 

“I expected more from you, Milla.” Vegeta said, cupping her chin. Her eyes went wide when she heard those words. He was saying things out of pure spite at this point, anything he could say that would hurt her. He scoffed and left without another word. 

Milla stood still, eyes still wide as saucers. Her knees gave out beneath her and tears streamed down her face. She didn’t feel like she was crying, but the warmth of the little droplets running down her cheeks told her that she was. 

Her body was frozen, those words echoing in her head. 

_ “I expected more from you, Milla.” Vegeta said.  _

_ “I expected more from you, Milla.” Leo said.  _

Those were the last words her father spoke to her. Again, she was broken. 


	7. Goodbye

_ It had been a little over a year since Cynthia had become ‘a part of the family.’ Over time, Milla had learned to deal with Cynthia in a way that kept her father happy while making her own life bearable enough.  _

_ She really wanted to like Cynthia in the beginning. Her dad had been so lonely throughout her entire childhood and it always tugged on Milla’s heart strings to know that he was always dealing with everything on his own. When he finally sat down with Milla to tell her about Cynthia, Milla was initially elated. Finally, there was someone for her dad to love and someone to take care of him in a way that a daughter just couldn’t.  _

_ When Milla met her dad’s new girlfriend, she thought that Cynthia reminded her quite a bit of pictures of her mom that were taken before she died. Same short stature, dark features and happy smile. The biggest contrast between the two was something that laid behind their eyes; there was an unspoken message about who they truly were at their core. Milla’s mom had dark eyes that reminded her of coffee and comfort. They told a message that passed on sweet bits of love and acceptance that Milla would never actually get to hear. _

_ Cynthia’s eyes were dark in color, but they were almost empty. It was like the crinkles around her eyes that were usually indicative of someone’s happiness were all a part of her intricate lie.  _

_ The initial introduction went well and common courtesy played its part in making it seem like the group dynamic between Milla, Cynthia, and Leo might actually work out.  _

_ However, once Cynthia moved in, that’s when the situation took a turn for the worse. Cynthia’s facade came tumbling down, at least in front of Milla. The older woman would continue to keep up the act of a kind person anytime Leo was around, but as soon as he rounded the corner her true colors would show.  _

_ The first time this happened was when Milla was 19. She came home from college for a weekend to see her dad and was helping both Cynthia and her father make dinner.  _

_ “Alright ladies, I’m going to go feed Pinto and then bring him back inside. Think you can hold down the fort while I’m gone for a second?” Leo said as he placed one hand on each of the women’s shoulders and gave a light squeeze.  _

_ Milla looked up at her father and gave him a reassuring smile and a nod. “Yea, dad. We’ll be good.”  _

_ “Great. Be right back.” Leo said before leaving the kitchen.  _

_ “What a dumb little girl you are,” Cynthia said with a smirk. She didn’t look up from the green onions she was chopping, but she didn’t have to. She knew she had already caught Milla’s attention.  _

_ Milla’s breath caught in her throat. The garlic she was sautéing in the pan sizzled and she stood motionless, the spatula unmoving in her clenched fist that was tense from fear.  _

_ Milla turned to look at Cynthia who’s dark hair was hanging over her face, hiding everything but her smug smile. _

_ “Sorry, I think I misheard you. What’d you say?” Milla replied.  _

_ Cynthia stopped her knife for a minute and turned her head towards Milla’s. She blinked quickly as though she was annoyed.  _

_ “I said you’re a dumb little girl. I see how you practically beg for your fathers attention. You’ll never win.” _

_ Milla’s look of shock and confusion spoke volumes to Cynthia, and it egged her on to continue berating her boyfriend’s daughter.  _

_ Cynthia maintained eye contact with the younger female and moved the kitchen knife so that she pressed the tip against the side of Milla’s stomach. The sharpness of the tip threatened to break through the fabric of her shirt with any movement.  _

_ “I’ll see to it that you don’t win. I will be the only one in your father’s life - one way or another. You’ll see.” She laughed quietly before turning back to the green onions.  _

_ Leo walked back into the kitchen with Pinto trotting behind.  _

_ The smell of burnt garlic started to waft through the kitchen. Milla felt absolutely frozen - like she had no control.  _

_ “What’s so funny?” Leo said. He noticed the smell of something burning in the air and looked over Milla’s shoulder.  _

_ “Milla, you're burning the garlic!”  _

_ Leo wedged Milla out of the way and started trying to salvage what he could.  _

_ “What’s up with you, Milla? Are you okay?” Leo asked, looking into his daughter's eyes that were still full of shock. He sensed something was off, but couldn’t put his finger on what.  _

_ Milla ripped her head down to keep her father from reading her face any further. Cynthia didn’t deserve to be protected, but her father did.  _

_ “Nothing. I’ve got some school work I forgot about.” Milla said before speeding out of the room, her eyes focused on the ground.  _

_ “I wonder what’s going on.” Leo said, his mouth in a deep frown.  _

_ Cynthia shrugged. “Oh, you remember what it’s like to be a teenager. She’s probably got a boy she’s dealing with.”  _

_ “That’s not it,” Leo stated. “Milla isn’t focused on boys. If she was, she would say something about it. It’s something else.”  _

_ “Maybe she really did forget an assignment,” Cynthia said, creeping behind Leo and wrapping her arms around him. “Don’t worry too much about it.”  _

_ “Maybe.” Leo said, accepting her suggestion for the time being.  _

_ This was a pattern that repeated itself anytime Milla came home. Cynthia was always there, never leaving a moment for her to be alone with her father and waiting for the next moment alone with Milla.  _

_ Milla had considered skipping her visits home a handful of times, but she could never bring herself to stay away from her father. She deeply valued the moments she got with Leo and realized that time with her father wasn't infinite. Never knowing her mother had taught her that everyone’s life on Earth is limited and you can never predict when it will be over.  _

_ Despite the verbal and physical abuse, Milla wasn’t going to let Cynthia steal her relationship with her father. The only thing that would ever stop Milla from coming home was if Leo forbade her to return. That was never a possibility in Milla’s mind until her 21st birthday. _

_ Milla and Leo had made plans to go on a road trip together to Tennessee so that on her birthday they could share moonshine and Tennessee hot chicken. They had prepared roadstops, hotels, and restaurants along the way. Most of the planning was done through phone calls and text while Milla was at school, but that didn’t stop Cynthia from listening in and getting started on a plot to derail the trip. _

_ Cynthia’s issue with Milla did not start out as personal. Whenever she had initially met Leo through a coworker’s friend, she had no idea that he had a daughter. They went on a blind date set up by their mutuals and she was automatically smitten. It was only after their third date that Leo disclosed he had a teenage daughter that he raised alone. He told her the story of how Milla’s mother died and how Milla was all he had left of her.  _

_ This made Cynthia sick. The thought of Leo having any connection to his past flame was enough to make her fume. She wanted that connection gone, and she would do anything to make sure that Leo was hers and hers alone.  _

_ The first time Cynthia met Milla in person fueled her sick possessiveness over Leo even further. The way Leo looked at his daughter with admiration; how when she spoke it was like there was no one else in the room. How they laughed about things that Cynthia couldn’t keep up with. Every individual interaction between Leo and Milla sent Cynthia’s mind into spirals.  _

_ Despite her many attempts and warnings to scare Milla away over the years, she always returned. It was almost as if nothing could keep Milla away from the love of her life.  _

_ But now, Cynthia had come up with the ultimate plan to get rid of Milla for good. _

_ She started weeks ahead, planting little seeds in Leo’s head about things she was seeing on Milla’s social media. Leo never had social media as a result of suspicion about the lack of security on the sites as well and Cynthia’s overwhelming control over his profiles. He figured it was more trouble than it was worth.  _

_ “Leo!” Cynthia called. “You should see who just commented on Milla’s Instagram post.” _

_ “Who?” Leo said, pointing the TV remote at the screen and flipping through channels. _

_ “This boy named Brian. He’s been commenting on her stuff all week.” Cynthia said, implying that it was an issue. _

_ “Is he saying anything inappropriate?” Leo asked, squinting at the TV.  _

_ “Not particularly. Mainly compliments. And it’s not unsolicited because she’s returning the favor.” _

_ Leo raised a grey eyebrow and looked towards his partner. “Are you saying they’re flirting?” _

_ “I don’t even know if it’s flirting, Leo. They call each other honey and babe.” _

_ Leo shifted in his seat and coughed up his pride. _

_ “I’ll have to give her a call to talk about that. I can’t believe she didn’t tell me.” Leo sighed.  _

_ “You know those young adults,” Cynthia said as she kissed the top of Leo’s head. “They’re sneaky sneaky.”  _

_ Leo called Milla later that day to try to get an explanation. To his surprise, Milla had no idea what he was talking about. Leo’s heart stung at the thought that his daughter was lying to him. In his mind, Cynthia had no reason to lie, so he figured Milla had to be hiding this new relationship from him. He told Milla that she should think long and hard about the decisions she’s making and the situations she’s putting herself into and hung up the phone.  _

_ Cynthia continued to nurture the seeds of doubt that grew within Leo’s mind. By the time the date for the trip rolled around, he was already on edge. Cynthia knew this was the time to strike. _

_ The day before the trip arrived and Milla came home that afternoon so they could leave early the next morning. The afternoon went normally. They had dinner and Milla and Leo talked about the trip, what time they were going to wake up, and if they packed everything they needed.  _

_ Cynthia was suspiciously quiet. She had nothing to say and didn’t try to stop the conversation. She sat and ate her meal in silence, a small smile creeping across her face. _

_ Once everyone was settled into bed and Leo was fast asleep, Cynthia carefully lifted herself out of bed and walked down the hall into the dining room. She opened her purse and pulled out a pink foil package which she shoved into her robe pocket before crossing into the kitchen. _

_ The cool air of the fridge hit her face as she reached in for a coke. She opened the can with a quiet fizz and snap and sat it out on the table. _

_ Cynthia took one last look around her to make sure no one was watching what she was about to do. She pulled the pink foil package out of her robe and tore it open. She dipped the paper tip of the pregnancy test into the can of coke and waited a second for it to saturate before laying it flat on the white tile counter.  _

_ The fluid soaked through the tip and started flooding its way into the test. The first line showed up clear as day, followed by the second solid line.  _

_ A giddy grin appeared on Cynthia’s face. She placed the cap back onto the positive test and shoved it back into the foil.  _

_ Very strategically, she wrapped the test in toilet paper and placed it in the trash can of Milla’s bathroom. Now, all Cynthia had to do was wait. _

_ The next morning came and there was still no light outside. Leo got up and started his shower. Cynthia woke and followed him into their master bath and started to the toilet as if she was going to go to the bathroom.  _

_ “Hm. Seems we’re all out of toilet paper,” Cynthia said. _

_ “Oh. There’s always some extra in Milla’s bathroom. Just go grab some.” Leo replied.  _

_ “Okay! Sounds good.” Cynthia said as she lovingly scratched Leo’s back before walking out of the room.  _

_ Cynthia walked to Milla’s bathroom, ensured the test was where she left it and turned back around.  _

_ Cynthia feigned a look of worry and concern on her face and placed her hand on Leo’s shoulder. “Leo, love. I think you should come see this.”  _

_ Leo was taken aback by the look on her face and followed her to the other bathroom.  _

_ “Look,” Cynthia said as she pointed at the pink foil peeking through the toilet paper.  _

_ “What is that?” Leo asked Cynthia with worry in his eyes.  _

_ “I think it’s a pregnancy test.” Cynthia said, her brows furrowed with false concern.  _

_ “A pregnancy test?” Leo gasped. He went straight to his knees and started to tear through the trash can and toilet paper.  _

_ He found the test and pulled back the pink foil to reveal the two lines.  _

_ Leo dropped the test and put his head into his hands. He stayed this way for a period of time, leaving Cynthia in silence.  _

_ Cynthia placed her hand on his back and rubbed it, trying to provide comfort.  _

_ “MILLA.” Leo yelled. He got up from his knees and snatched the test from the floor.  _

_ “MILLA!” Leo bellowed as he ran towards her room. He kicked the door open to reveal Milla rubbing her eyes and starting to sit up with Pinto stretching at her feet.  _

_ “Dad?” Milla said with her voice full of sleep and confusion.  _

_ She looked into her fathers eyes and saw a million emotions in just one glance. His anger, fear, sadness, and rage was all apparent.  _

_ “What’s wrong dad?” Milla asked. She stood from her bed and took a step towards her dad.  _

_ “What is this, Milla?” Leo panted, shoving the test into his daughters face.  _

_ “A pregnancy test.” Milla stated, her eyes squinted and as they adjusted to the light.  _

_ “YEA, it’s a POSITIVE pregnancy test. Care to explain why it was in your bathroom trash can?  _

_ “Dude, I don’t know!” Milla yelled defensively. “It’s not mine!”  _

_ “Don’t play me for stupid.” Leo said with his voice full of defeat. “There’s only two women in this house and it’s not just a coincidence that you’ve been secretly seeing some guy before this happened.”  _

_ “Okay, what the fuck are you talking about?” Milla asked, taking a couple of steps closer to her father and Cynthia, who was standing behind him with her arms crossed and that same smug grin plastered across her face.  _

_ “Watch your language!” Cynthia snarked from behind Leo.  _

_ “FUCK. YOU.” Milla spat.  _

_ “MILLA!” Leo yelled. “WHAT HAS GOTTEN INTO YOU.”  _

_ “You know she’s doing this right?” Milla said, pointing at Cynthia and looking straight into her fathers eyes. “You know she’s lying to you to get rid of me?”  _

_ Leo shook his head as if he was shaking her words out of his ears.  _

_ “To get rid of you? Milla are you okay?” Leo asked, with his eyes full of concern.  _

_ “I’m fine! But she’s not and neither are you if you believe her!”  _

_ Leo placed his face into his palms again and took a deep breath.  _

_ “Enough, Milla. I’ve heard enough.”  _

_ “What do you mean, dad?” Milla laughed nervously.  _

_ “You lie and you lie. After everything we talked about, after every promise we made, you continue to lie to my face? Why, Milla? Am I really that bad of a parent that I deserve that? That I deserve you getting pregnant at 21?” Leo said painfully.  _

_ “I’m NOT pregnant dad and I’M NOT seeing any boy and IM NOT LYING!” Milla shouted into her fathers face. She felt the pain surge through her palms from her fingernails digging deep into them. “WHAT HAVE YOU LET HER DO TO YOU?”  _

__

_ “Will you STOP blaming this on Cynthia?” Leo yelled back. “She’s done nothing but be supportive of you and me BOTH since she’s come into our life.” _

_ “You’re so full of shit, dad. I love you but you’re an idiot if that’s what you think.” Milla said, her voice growing quiet. She felt betrayed by her one and only family member still alive on this earth.  _

_ Cynthia stood behind Leo. Her smile left her face and her eyes said nothing. If her face wasn’t a canvas for an evil smirk, it was blank and waiting for her next false emotion.  _

_ Milla looked past her dad and glared at Cynthia. The sight of her face filled Milla with anger and hatred.  _

_ “You’re one evil fucking bitch. I hope you know you’ve robbed me of the ONE PERSON I have in the WHOLE world who loves me.”  _

_ “Milla.” Leo said, stopping Milla’s words from going any further. “I love you. But I think you need to go back to your apartment.”  _

_ “Dad-“ Milla spoke to her father with pleading eyes. Her heart was breaking into a million pieces. Her face was hot with rage from looking at Cynthia, from knowing she planned this and ruined her relationship with her father. That she had turned Leo against her, convinced him that Milla was a liar.  _

_ “Please dad-,” Milla said, her voice shaking. Tears started to swell past her eyes and her legs felt like jello. She was losing a game where Cynthia reigned supreme.  _

_ Leo turned his head down, unable to look at his daughter’s heartbroken eyes.  _

_ “Go, Milla.” Leo said.  _

_ Tears streamed down Milla’s face as she bit her lip and grabbed her bag and cellphone. She rushed down the hallway past her father and Cynthia. They followed silently behind her until she walked out the door.  _

_ “I’ll make sure she’s okay.” Cynthia said.  _

_ “You don’t have to do that.” Leo said, his eyes red and his voice shaken.  _

_ Cynthia cupped Leo’s cheek and gave him a loving look. “It’s okay. She’s just scared and hurt. I don’t hold anything she said against her.”  _

_ “Thank you, Cynth.” Leo said.  _

_ Cynthia walked out the door and followed to where Milla was throwing her bag into her Jetta.  _

_ “Need help packing?” Cynthia said, her arms on her hips.  _

_ “I don’t need anything from you.” Milla spat.  _

_ “I won. I won over you AND your piece of trash mother.” Cynthia smiled.  _

_ “I swear to god you better get away from me or I will run you over.”  _

_ “That’s a good way to run your dear old dad off forever.” Cynthia laughed.  _

_ Milla closed her car door and turned towards the older woman.  _

_ “You come out here to gloat or what?” She peeked past Cynthia and saw her dad watching through the screen door of the house.  _

_ “Basically.” Cynthia shrugged.  _

_ “DADDY!” Milla yelled. “YOU TOLD ME TO NEVER HAVE FEAR. THIS IS FOR YOU!”  _

_ Leo walked out of the screen door to see what she was talking about.  _

_ “MILLA-,” Leo shouted.  _

_ Milla punched Cynthia in her cheek and it sent her stumbling onto the pavement.  _

_ “Fuck YOU!” Milla screamed, pummeling Cynthia’s face and torso. She straddled her legs around her hips and grabbed Cynthia’s brown ponytail and slammed her face into the pavement.  _

_ “THAT'S MY ONLY DADDY!” Milla shrieked, tears rolling down her face.  _

_ Cynthia screamed in pain and Leo ran out to the street and pulled Milla from Cynthia before she could do any more damage.  _

_ “MILLA WHAT HAS POSSESSED YOU?” Leo shouted, running to Cynthia whose nose was pushed far to the left. She had blood streaming from her temple and nostril.  _

_ “SHE’S A LIAR DAD, PLEASE BELIEVE ME DADDY I WOULD NEVER LIE TO YOU! PLEASE DAD-,” Milla sobbed, choking on her own tears. _

_ “STOP!” Leo shouted. Neighbors started to flicker on their porch lights and walk out to respond to the noise. Leo looked at his daughter with tears running down his cheeks and then to his battered partner in his arms and felt helpless.  _

_ “Kelly would’ve hated seeing you this way,” Leo started, shaking his head. “I won’t see you this way.”  _

_ Milla felt like she had been stabbed in the throat. They barely ever spoke her mother’s name. She wondered if her mom was watching from heaven and if she could feel the pain and betrayal burning through her daughter’s chest.  _

_ “You need to go. And not come back until whatever caused this is fixed and you apologize to Cynthia.” Leo stated.  _

_ “DAD-,”  _

_ “Milla! Stop.” Leo begged. “I can’t take anymore of this.”  _

_ “I guess I’m never coming back then.” Milla said, rubbing the drainage from her nose off of her upper lip. “I will NEVER apologize to THAT.” _

_ Milla spat at Cynthia’s feet. Leo and Cynthia sat in silence, both in complete shock at the events that unfolded.  _

_ “You taught me to be fearless. You taught me to not take anyone’s shit and to be in control of my own life,” Milla spoke, her voice raspy from yelling. “I will never be in control of my life as long as Cynthia is a part of it.” _

_ There was a moment of silence before Milla spoke again.  _

_ “I love you, dad. This is it for me until you realize the kind of monster you allowed into our life. ”  _

_ Milla turned her back on her father and headed back towards her car. She turned and met eyes with her father one last time.  _

_ “I expected more of you Milla.” Leo said.  _

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed the intro. Any suggestions or feedback? I’d love to hear it. Find me @vegetasleftsock on Tumblr :)


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